Setting

The short story “Day Trippers” by Raman Mundair is set in contemporary Britain. This is indicated through references to places in the UK like Heathrow Airport (l. 102), Birmingham (l. 70) or Southall (l. 100).

The characters probably live in London as indicated by the references to Southall (a suburban area in west London) being closer to home (ll. 98-100).

Physical setting

Specific elements of the physical setting are the characters’ homes, the restaurant the two couples meet in, the hotel in Birmingham, the Punjabi bazaar, and the Sikh temple. These places are often only mentioned and only occasionally described. For instance, we can imagine the restaurant where the reunion between Aisling and Parminder (and their husbands) takes place: “...Gurpreet took charge at the restaurant, made sure they were taken to the table Aisling had booked – the one with a view of the river...” (ll. 40-41)

We can also picture the lively Punjabi bazaar or the streets in Leicester during Diwali: “The buzz of the Punjabi bazaar, the rhythmic uplift of the bhangra, the paan stalls, Indian sweet shops and the skies seared by the flights heading to and from Heathrow...” (ll. 100-102); “On Melton Road the sound of bhangra filled the air as they mingled with the lndian families dressed in their finest. The women and girls shimmered and sparkled, their bindis and red kumkum punctuating the night.” (ll. 84-86)

Finally, the author includes a b...