Chapter summaries A Guardian and a Thief Megha Majumdar

Chapter 17: Phone – Summary and Analysis

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Boomba, having been driven from Ma’s house earlier, hides in Mrs. Sen’s closet for a day. On Sunday, he sees Ma and Mishti leave in a taxi and, believing the house is now his, breaks a window to enter. Realizing the window is blocked from inside, he uses a parrot to lure Mrs. Sen to open the front door, then slips in. He clears the barricades and prepares the house for his family. When his parents and brother Robi arrive, Boomba deceives them by claiming the house was a gift from his former boss. Ma returns and, after leaving Mishti at the neighbor’s, confronts the intruders with a secateur. Boomba’s father strikes her with a pressure cooker, and she collapses, possibly dying. In the aftermath, Boomba finds Mishti at the neighbor’s and takes her hand, falsely telling her that her mother said to come home.

Key Events

  • Boomba hides in Mrs. Sen’s house and observes Ma and Mishti’s departure.
  • He breaks a window but finds it blocked; he then uses a parrot to trick Mrs. Sen into opening the door.
  • Boomba clears the furniture barricades and turns on the TV.
  • His family arrives; Boomba lies that the house was a gift.
  • Ma returns, leaves Mishti with the parrots, and confronts Boomba’s father.
  • Boomba’s father strikes Ma with a pressure cooker, causing her to collapse.
  • Boomba’s mother and father drag Ma’s body away and clean the spot.
  • Boomba retrieves Mishti from next door, telling her that her mother said to come home.

Character Development

  • Boomba: Previously determined and resourceful, here he sees the consequences of his actions. He lies to his family and is horrified by his father’s violence, feeling that the house has become “debris.”
  • Ma: Evolves from a frightened mother into a warrior defending her home. Her final thoughts show her deep love for Mishti and her acceptance of death.
  • Boomba’s father: Transforms from a passive old man into a violent defender of what he believes is his family’s property, striking Ma repeatedly.
  • Boomba’s mother: Begins to distrust the story of the house’s origin and shows horror at her husband’s actions.
  • Robi: Remains largely innocent and unaware, asking to sleep in the storeroom because it feels like home.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • Illusion vs. reality: Boomba’s family believes the house is a gift; Ma knows it is stolen. The pressure cooker, once a tool of Boomba’s invasion, becomes a weapon of violence.
  • Violence and home: The chapter shows how the struggle for a home leads to brutality. The secateur (gardening tool) and pressure cooker (kitchen utensil) are perverted into weapons.
  • Sacrificial motherhood: Ma’s final thoughts focus entirely on Mishti, from her infancy to an imagined old age. She wishes to spare her daughter from witnessing the violence.
  • The parrot as a catalyst: Boomba uses the parrot to enter the house, mirroring earlier uses of animals as tools of deception.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is the climax of the novel’s central conflict: the fight over the house. It crystallizes the consequences of Boomba’s earlier theft and assault. Ma’s probable death changes the stakes for Mishti, who is now in the hands of her abductor. Boomba’s family, once victims, become complicit in violence. The title “Phone” refers to the opening phone call, in which Mishti’s father cheerfully prepares for her arrival—a stark contrast to the tragedy unfolding. The chapter also deepens the theme of dispossession: Boomba, who claimed to be securing a home for his family, has instead destroyed any chance of a peaceful life for them.

Study Questions and Answers

  1. Why does Ma leave Mishti with the parrots before confronting the intruders?
    Ma wants to protect Mishti from the violent confrontation she anticipates. She leaves her with the parrots to keep her safe and to prevent the child from witnessing the attack.

  2. How does Boomba’s father justify his attack on Ma?
    He believes the house rightfully belongs to his son and views Ma as a dangerous intruder. When she raises the secateur, he acts in what he perceives as self-defense, though his blows are lethal.

  3. What does Ma’s imagined future of Mishti at age one hundred reveal about her character?
    It shows that Ma’s love transcends her own death. She imagines Mishti remembering her, and hopes that even her grandchildren will wonder about the mother Mishti once had. This reveals Ma’s deep need to be remembered and her acceptance of mortality.

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