Chapter Thirty-Six: Summary, Analysis & Key Themes
⚠️ 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
The chapter opens late at night at Mohan's home in Surat, where Smita immediately phones Anjali to report Meena's murder. Anjali is shattered, repeatedly asking why she did not anticipate the danger and arrange protection. Smita privately reflects that there is enough guilt to go around.
Smita then calls her editor Cliff in New York. He reacts with professional excitement, calling it "one helluva story," and presses her to file quickly. Smita resists, insisting this is not breaking news and that she wants to hold the story until they figure out what to do with Abru. Cliff pushes back, arguing the brothers are illiterate and unlikely to claim custody. Smita holds her ground, envisioning a longer narrative piece situated in a larger context, and Cliff eventually agrees to talk the next day. After hanging up, Smita wrestles with dark questions about her profession—whether journalism and voyeurism are too close, whether she has been selling "poverty porn" to white middle-class readers, and whether her work truly makes a difference.
Finding Mohan sitting alone in his room, head in his hands, Smita sits beside him and puts her arm around him—a mirror of how he had consoled her days earlier. In the dark, grief strips away language and inhibition; they become intimate, clinging to each other so neither will be alone that night.
The next morning is hot and still. Smita feels the warmth of Mohan's gaze and the chill when he leaves the room, but Mohan wakes at six with Abru's name on his lips. Anjali calls at eight, exhausted from a sleepless night, and Smita cannot yet bring herself to console her, privately blaming Anjali for the failed protection. At Anjali's urging, Smita and Mohan go to the police station nearest Birwad to file a complaint. The inspector is disinterested, picking at his teeth and staring at Smita's chest; the only time he shows passion is when he accuses her of maligning India's reputation abroad. Smita has also called Shannon, who is in rehab, and Shannon promises to follow up on the story.
Leaving the station, Mohan asks whether they should return to Birwad for Meena's funeral. Smita declines, saying Meena would want them to focus on her daughter, not her remains. Mohan agrees, noting that Meena said the four months with her husband were the happiest of her life, so they will leave her where she was happiest.
That evening, after Ammi and Abru fall asleep, Smita and Mohan buy a large bottle of Grey Goose and drink it in his bedroom. Smita asks to sleep with him again, and he pulls her toward him, saying it is the only thing that has gotten him through the day.
The next day, Smita works on her article while Mohan makes calls. He contacts a lawyer friend about the papers needed for Ammi to give up her rights to Abru, and arranges for Ammi's current employer to keep her as a live-in maid—a safe arrangement since the employer lives far from Vithalgaon. That night, Ammi signs the custody papers and gives Abru a perfunctory hug, as if parting for hours rather than a lifetime.
The following morning, Mohan drives Ammi to her new home, leaving Abru with Smita. Abru plays in the garden, then comes to Smita, who carries her to bed; they fall asleep together. When Mohan returns, he reveals that Ammi asked him to adopt Abru. Smita is startled, and they argue about custody. Mohan points out that Meena asked Smita to take care of Abru, but Smita insists her lifestyle—traveling most weeks of the year—would not allow single parenthood. Mohan offers to keep Abru and do the paperwork, saying he is already attached to her. Smita bristles at the suggestion that motherhood is another box Mohan is placing her in.
Mohan then asks Smita to stay in Mumbai with him. She protests that it is impossible, that they barely know each other. He counters that her father moved his whole family to America out of desperation, and asks what the difference is—whether desperation is a better reason to move than love. He offers to take a leave of absence and follow her to America if she is unhappy. Smita is moved despite herself, noting that no previous boyfriend would have given up a career for her. She asks where she would stay; he suggests his room at Zarine Auntie's apartment or buying a small flat. She grows uncomfortable and asks him to drop the subject, and he apologizes, explaining that solving problems is what he does for a living.
Their conversation is interrupted by Abru's wail—she has fallen out of bed and hit her head. Smita and Mohan comfort her with ice, and Mohan lies down with her until she falls asleep. Smita joins them, and the three sleep together with Abru sandwiched between them, Smita and Mohan holding hands over the child's body.
Key Events
- Smita informs Anjali of Meena's murder; Anjali is inconsolable and guilt-ridden.
- Smita argues with Cliff about holding the story versus filing immediately.
- Smita and Mohan become intimate for the first time, consoling each other in the dark.
- They file a complaint at the police station near Birwad; the inspector is indifferent and accuses Smita of harming India's reputation.
- They decide not to attend Meena's funeral, choosing to focus on Abru.
- Mohan arranges Ammi's custody sign-off and a live-in job; Ammi asks Mohan to adopt Abru.
- Mohan proposes Smita stay in Mumbai; she declines, and he offers to follow her to America.
- Abru falls out of bed; the three sleep together, Smita and Mohan holding hands.
Character Development
Smita is consumed by guilt over Meena's death and questions the very purpose of her journalism career, wondering whether her work is voyeurism or genuine empathy. Her intimacy with Mohan opens a hunger in her, but she resolves to leave India before either of them gets hurt, believing Mohan would be the one to suffer. She is touched by his willingness to give up his career, yet cannot imagine surrendering her own life.
Mohan emerges as the practical problem-solver, arranging custody papers, a safe job for Ammi, and a plan for Abru. He is unafraid of fear, arguing that important things are supposed to scare you. His declaration that he loves Smita more than his job marks a significant emotional risk, and his offer to follow her to America shows a willingness to upend his life for love.
Anjali appears only briefly but is transformed from her usual composed self into a shattered, guilt-stricken woman, cracking "like a thin sheet of ice."
Ammi is pragmatic to the end, signing away her rights with a perfunctory hug, as if the parting were temporary—a gesture that disturbs Smita.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Guilt and grief as levelers: The chapter repeatedly shows guilt distributed among Anjali, Smita, and Mohan. Grief strips away pretense, enabling intimacy between Smita and Mohan in the dark.
- Journalism ethics and voyeurism: Smita's internal debate about "poverty porn" and whether her reporting helps or exploits subjects like Meena is central. Cliff's enthusiasm contrasts sharply with her own horror.
- Choice and desperation: Mohan argues that Smita's family moved to America out of desperation, questioning why love is not a valid reason to move. Smita's privilege—a "banquet of options"—is contrasted with Meena's life of parsimony and lack of choice.
- Light and shadow: The motif recurs in Smita's perception of warmth when Mohan's eyes fall on her and chill when he leaves, and in the dark that enables their intimacy.
- Motherhood and responsibility: Smita insists her feeling for Abru is responsibility, not a desire for motherhood, while Mohan argues that responsibility is a bad reason to become a mother—yet he is willing to adopt Abru himself.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is the emotional and relational turning point of the novel. It solidifies the bond between Smita and Mohan through shared grief, introduces the central custody dilemma for Abru, and forces Smita to confront the ethics of her profession and the possibility of a life in India. Mohan's declaration of love and his offer to follow Smita to America raise the stakes of her eventual choice, while the chapter's closing image—the three of them sleeping together, hands linked over the child—foreshadows the family they might become.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Smita resist Cliff's pressure to file the story immediately, and what does this reveal about her character?
Smita insists the story is not breaking news and wants to hold it until they decide what to do with Abru, fearing the brothers might claim family rights. This reveals her growing ethical unease with journalism that treats tragedy as a commodity, and her prioritization of the child's welfare over professional ambition.
2. How does Mohan's proposal to adopt Abru and his offer to follow Smita to America challenge her assumptions about love and sacrifice?
Mohan's willingness to give up his job and country for Smita contrasts sharply with her previous boyfriends and forces her to confront her own fear of entanglement. His argument that desperation, not love, drove her family's move to America challenges her rationalizations for refusing to stay.
3. What does the police inspector's reaction to Smita's complaint reveal about the novel's treatment of institutional indifference?
The inspector's disinterest, his leering at Smita, and his accusation that she is maligning India's reputation abroad illustrate how caste, gender, and nationalism combine to deny justice to women like Meena. The only passion he shows is defensive nationalism, not concern for a murdered woman.