King Rao is born, so his relatives whisper, under a bad star. His mother, Radha, becomes pregnant as the result of rape, then dies in childbirth. The baby is left in the care of her sister, Sita, who is also forced to take on the burden of Radha’s no-good husband. “A big name for a little runt,” Sita’s in-laws mock when she insists on naming the boy King. “He has strong bones,” Sita retorts. “He has a regal lip ... He’ll live up to it.”
The Raos, from the beginning, are a divided family. Through hard work and prudent planning, their patriarch, Grandfather Rao, is able to inherit the cultivation rights to a productive coconut plantation from its former Brahmin owners. Their Dalit origins pushed aside, the Raos’ fortunes appear to be flourishing.Sita never doubts that her nephew will come to something. She secures the best education for King. She also warns him to steer clear of those members of the extended family she castigates as freeloaders, benefiting from Grandfather Rao’s careful husbandry of the plantation while contributing nothing in return.
