A profile sketch

Nagam had built a world of his own: books, news, work and visiting people to talk shop over a drink. He never ran errands for the family. He couldn't be bothered with chores. Saraswati relied on his brother to fetch the groceries, though she preferred to do it herself whenever she could. He was an introvert; he opened his mind but rarely, perhaps to pass an acerbic comment or to demand something he needed urgently. He never gossiped; he had neither the inclination or the time for it. He spent a good deal of time in libraries, browsing through books on history and politics. At home, when he was not reading the newspaper, he entertained himself reading fiction. He was a movie buff; he never a missed a movie that hit the cinemas in the city. Language was no barrier: he was at ease with Urdu, Hindi, Telugu and English. Rarely, if ever, he watched a movie alone. Watching movies was the only time he spent with the family. He had no time for socializing; he was always busy, driven by work and the passion for the written word. Even if he did attend a family function, work would soon call him away on some urgent task. He spoke little, never argued, and spoke slowly, not raising the voice beyond the necessary level. When he looked, his sight penetrated through the spectacles. His bearing gave him dignity; his bald pate maturity and his glasses scholarship. Above all, he always dressed for the occasion - nary a crease out of place, nor the shoe unpolished. He worked on his shoes like a shoe-black; they always shone a radiant black. His reticence set him apart from the crowd; though he was anything but proud. He could be very angry at times and shouted to drown any form of resistance. But that was rare, since he got his way with a short sharp word most of the time. Saraswati spoke to him from a distance and usually left after a brief exchange. Sarma never stood face to face with him; he avoided his brother as much as possible: he performed poorly in his studies and succeeded in building a stout physique; Nagam was severely critical of both. He maintained a lean figure, looked taller than his 5'-9" and generally presented a healthy look.