Introduction Can you love a language that is dying? This haunting question forms the emotional core of Anita Desai’s In Custody. Set in post-partition India, the novel explores a world where Hindi has become the language of authority, employment, and progress, while Urdu lingers as the fading language of art, memory, and poetry. Through the lens of one man’s dream and disappointment, Desai paints a poignant picture of cultural decay and personal disillusionment. At the heart of the story is Deven Sharma, a...