Chapter Thirty-Eight 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

The chapter opens the morning after the events in Surat. Smita and Mohan visit Shannon at the rehab unit, where Shannon mentions that Nandini is running late because of a ceremony for her younger brother's birthday. Smita offers to cancel her planned lunch with Mohan's landlady, but Shannon insists she go. Mohan steps out to buy a fresh coconut from a vendor, which Nandini normally brings Shannon daily for its healing properties.

With Mohan gone, Shannon and Smita have a private conversation. Shannon gently probes the nature of Smita's relationship with Mohan, observing that Mohan is clearly serious about her and will be devastated when she leaves. Smita defends herself, explaining that she never intended to become involved with Mohan and that she cannot upend her entire life for someone she just met. She reminds Shannon that Mohan asked her to stay for half a year, which she considers unrealistic given her career. Shannon counters that she has never seen Smita look as contented as she does around Mohan. Smita deflects the observation, and the conversation shifts when Mohan returns with the coconut. After a brief exchange, they depart for Zarine Sethna's flat.

At Zarine's home, Smita is greeted warmly by the tall, gray-haired landlady, who has prepared an elaborate meal. Smita asks to see Abru, who is napping, and Zarine obliges. Smita notices that Abru already looks plumper. Mohan reassures Smita that Zarine and her husband Jamshed adore the child and would be insulted by any offer of payment.

During lunch, Smita recognizes the Duke's raspberry soda from her childhood, recalling that her father had many Parsi friends who served it. Zarine immediately sends Mohan to fetch another bottle. The warmth of the meal is interrupted when Zarine, seizing a moment alone with Smita, pinches her forearm and warns her not to hurt Mohan. She reveals that in all the years she has known him, this is the first time he has brought a girl home. Smita reminds Zarine that she is scheduled to return to the US in three days. Zarine is stricken, and the conversation turns tense. Smita briefly wonders if the lunch was an ambush, but Mohan's puzzled expression when he returns reassures her.

After the tension eases, Mohan shows Smita his bedroom, which is spare and monastic, much like her own condo. Smita notices a framed photo of Mohan's parents and remarks that he resembles his father. In the living room, Smita glances into a full-length mirror on an old teakwood armoire and sees a vision of herself and Mohan ten years older, rushing around a kitchen preparing a school lunch. The image makes her dizzy, and she retreats to the bathroom. There, she identifies the vision as wishful thinking, a case of the If Onlys, and recalls how she deliberately refused to eat Mummy's Indian dishes during her first year in America as a way of forgetting India. She resolves to wait out her love for Mohan until it subsides into mere affection.

After tea, Abru wakes and runs to Smita, climbing into her lap. Zarine observes that the child thinks Smita is her mother. Zarine then shares that she and Jamshed once had a job offer in America but declined it, and she expresses no regret, saying home is where the heart is. Abru suddenly says the word Jaasd, Jamshed's name, delighting everyone. After lunch, Mohan takes Smita on a walk through Dadar Parsi Colony and the Five Gardens before they head back.

Key Events

Shannon and Smita discuss Smita's relationship with Mohan; Shannon warns that Mohan is serious about her.
Smita admits she cares for Mohan but insists she cannot stay in India.
Smita meets Zarine Sethna, Mohan's landlady, who treats him like a son.
Zarine confronts Smita, warning her not to hurt Mohan, and later suggests Smita take Mohan back to America.
Smita experiences a vision of a future with Mohan in the mirror, which she dismisses as wishful thinking.
Abru wakes and clings to Smita; Zarine remarks that the child thinks Smita is her mother.
Abru speaks her first word, Jaasd, Jamshed's name.
Mohan gives Smita a walking tour of Dadar Parsi Colony and the Five Gardens.

Character Development

Smita is at her most conflicted in this chapter. She openly admits to Zarine that she loves Mohan, yet she remains committed to her life in America. Her vision in the mirror reveals a deep, unacknowledged longing for a domestic life with Mohan, but she actively suppresses it, comparing it to a fever that will break. Her recollection of refusing Mummy's Indian food in her first year abroad shows a pattern of deliberately severing emotional ties to India as a survival mechanism.

Zarine Sethna emerges as a formidable surrogate mother figure. She is warm and generous, but also fiercely protective of Mohan. Her physical gesture of pinching Smita's arm underscores the intensity of her concern. Her story about declining a job offer in America reveals her own values: she prioritizes family and home over opportunity. Her suggestion that Smita take Mohan with her challenges Smita's assumption that only Smita's life matters.

Shannon serves as a perceptive observer in this chapter. She notices what Smita cannot or will not see: that Smita appears genuinely contented with Mohan. Her gentle probing forces Smita to articulate her position, even if Smita remains defensive.

Mohan is shown in a domestic light, comfortable in Zarine's home, his accent thickening as he speaks to her. His care for Shannon, fluffing her pillow and fetching the coconut, and his patience with Abru reveal a nurturing side that Shannon playfully acknowledges.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Love vs. Career: Smita frames her decision as a binary choice between her hard-won career and a relationship with a man she just met. Shannon and Zarine both challenge this framing, suggesting that Smita's fear may be the real obstacle.

Home and Belonging: Zarine's declaration that home is where the heart is directly contrasts with Smita's belief that home is where her career is. The chapter repeatedly asks what makes a place home.

Cultural Heritage: The Parsi food, the Duke's raspberry soda, the lagan nu custard, and the Parsi wedding Smita remembers all connect Smita to her Indian childhood. Zarine's home is steeped in tradition, and Smita's recognition of these cultural touchstones stirs nostalgia.

Memory and Nostalgia: Smita's memories of her father's Parsi friends and Mummy's cardamom kulfi surface throughout the chapter, suggesting that her connection to India is deeper than she admits.

Wishful Thinking: Smita's vision in the mirror is the chapter's central symbol. She labels it a case of the If Onlys, a phantom image created by intense longing, and resolves to wait it out. This moment crystallizes her internal conflict.

Family Bonds: Zarine and Jamshed function as Mohan's chosen family, and Abru's affection for Smita hints at the family Smita could have if she stayed.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter brings Smita's central conflict into sharp focus. Until now, she has been able to deflect questions about her relationship with Mohan, but Zarine's direct confrontation forces her to articulate her feelings. Her admission that she loves Mohan, followed by her decision to suppress that love, reveals the depth of her fear of commitment. The mirror vision is a pivotal moment: Smita sees a concrete future with Mohan and immediately rejects it, demonstrating that her obstacle is not a lack of love but a refusal to change her life. Zarine's counterexample, a woman who chose family over opportunity and has no regrets, offers an alternative model of happiness that Smita cannot yet accept. The chapter also deepens the theme of belonging, showing that Mohan has built a family of choice in Mumbai, just as Smita has built a life of choice in America.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Smita dismiss her vision in the mirror as wishful thinking, and what does this reveal about her character?

Smita labels the vision of herself and Mohan ten years older as a case of the If Onlys, a phantom image created by intense longing. She recalls how she deliberately avoided Mummy's Indian dishes during her first year in America as a way of forgetting India, revealing a pattern of suppressing emotional attachments. Her dismissal of the vision shows that she equates love with vulnerability and believes that waiting out her feelings is the safest course.

2. How does Zarine function as a foil to Smita in this chapter?

Zarine represents a life choice Smita cannot imagine for herself. Zarine declined a job offer in America to care for her parents and her son, and she expresses no regret, saying home is where the heart is. She is rooted in her community, her traditions, and her family. Smita, by contrast, has built her identity around leaving India and achieving professional success. Zarine's suggestion that Smita take Mohan to America challenges Smita's assumption that only she has a life worth preserving.

3. What role does food play in connecting Smita to her Indian heritage in this chapter?

Food serves as a trigger for memory and belonging. The Duke's raspberry soda reminds Smita of her father's Parsi friends. The lagan nu custard recalls the cardamom kulfi her mother used to make. The sali boti and Parsi-style tea immerse her in a domestic world she left behind in 1998. These sensory experiences undermine Smita's attempts to distance herself from India, suggesting that her cultural roots are deeper than she acknowledges.