Chapter 10 (Chapter 9: Sal): A Funeral, a Friend, and a Wave of Grief

⚠️ 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

Sal arrives at the cemetery with his father, Abu, for Misbah’s funeral. The parking lot is full, and Sal imagines his mother’s teasing voice. Imam Shafiq and his wife, Khadija, guide the family. Sal seethes internally at Abu, whose drunkenness made Sal miss his mother’s death. Ashlee, Sal’s girlfriend, arrives apparently under the influence of pain medication; Khadija steers her away. Noor slips Sal a wireless earbud playing “The Wanderer,” a song Ama loved, to anchor him through the burial. Abu breaks down during the prayer and later seems drunk again. Noor brings him a chair. Afterward, Sal escapes to the motel’s deserted pool area, followed by Noor. They walk home, awkwardly referencing a past fight and their kiss. Noor insists she is over Sal. Alone in the street, Sal is hit by a wave of grief and breaks down, realizing he will never be whole again.

Key Events

Sal and Abu arrive at the cemetery; Sal imagines Ama’s voice.
Khadija diverts Ashlee when she appears medicated.
Noor gives Sal an earbud playing “The Wanderer” to help him endure the funeral.
Abu shows signs of drinking during the prayer; Noor gives him a chair.
Sal’s cousin Arsalan makes small talk; Sal snaps at him.
A rude tenant demands towels; Noor retrieves them from the laundry room that Sal dreads.
Sal climbs into the empty pool; Noor joins him.
They walk home, discuss the “Fight,” and Noor says she is over Sal.
Sal sits alone in the road and finally cries, overwhelmed by grief.

Character Development

Salahudin (Sal) is defined by his effort to hold his grief at bay. He uses breathing exercises and sardonic mental commentary to avoid collapsing. His anger toward Abu is raw, but he suppresses it because he knows Abu is in pain. The chapter shows Sal’s complicated feelings for Noor: he is still drawn to her but terrified of intimacy. His final breakdown reveals that he cannot contain the loss forever.

Noor acts as Sal’s lifeline once again. She anticipates his need for an emotional anchor (the song) and steps in to handle the tenant without hesitation. Her declaration that she is “over” Sal is ambiguous—her body language and the faint smile suggest she is not entirely sure.

Abu appears fragile and shameful. His drunkenness at his wife’s funeral horrifies Sal and the other mourners, yet his “strangled howl” at the burial shows genuine devastation.

Ashlee remains a minor presence; her dependence on pain medication hints at her own struggles and the fragility of her relationship with Sal.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

The “wave” of grief – Sal visualizes his sorrow as a slow but immense wave that he tries to outrun. The metaphor captures the inevitability and power of mourning.
Memory and song – “The Wanderer” becomes a sensory portal to happier times, allowing Sal to briefly escape the present. Music is a conduit for shared memory between Noor, Sal, and Ama.
The drained pool – Once a site of childhood joy and community, the pool is now empty and locked, symbolizing the family’s loss and the drying up of hope. Ama’s plan to refill it remains unfulfilled.
Cultural and religious rituals – The Janazah prayer, the presence of the mosque community, and the customs of Pakistani hospitality underscore that grief is communal, even when Sal feels utterly alone.
Alcoholism as a wedge – Abu’s drinking repeatedly pulls Sal away from what he wants (being at Ama’s bedside, focusing on the funeral) and deepens his anger and shame.

Why This Chapter Matters

This is the emotional fulcrum of Sal’s arc. It dramatizes the permanent rupture caused by Misbah’s death and establishes the raw materials for Sal’s guilt, his conflicted bond with Noor, and his resentment toward Abu. The chapter also introduces the debt-collection phone call, planting the seed of financial crisis that will drive the remaining plot. By showing Sal’s total breakdown in the street, Tahir makes clear that no amount of repression can shield him from loss.

Study Questions

Question: Why does Noor give Sal the earbud with “The Wanderer,” and how does that song help him during the funeral?
Answer: Noor knows the song was one of Ama’s favorites, and hearing it lets Sal mentally escape to a warm memory of Ama cooking chapli kabobs. The music buffers the imam’s words about Ama as “someone who was,” buying Sal time before he has to face reality.
Question: How does Sal’s reaction to the empty pool reflect his state of mind?
Answer: The pool used to be full of life and happiness; now it is drained, padlocked, and dark—like Sal’s world after Ama’s death. Sitting on its edge, he recalls Ama’s plans to refill it, plans that will never happen, echoing his crushed hopes.
Question: What do Sal’s interactions with Arsalan and the tenant reveal about his emotional state?
Answer: Both encounters show Sal’s frayed patience. He snaps at Arsalan’s trivial questions and is frozen by the request for towels because the towels are in the laundry room, a place he associates with Ama. His anger and paralysis are direct expressions of unprocessed grief.