Before bed, the family gathers again—this time in the pooja ghar (prayer room).
In an Indian home, guests are gods ( Atithi Devo Bhava ). If a guest arrives unannounced at 9 PM, you do not say, "Sorry, we are about to sleep." You say, "Aao, aao! Aapne pet se aaya hai?" (Come, come! Have you eaten?). You then cook a three-course meal in 20 minutes while pretending it was "just lying around."