Ahimsa

Baba’s attempts to get Ma out of prison are fruitless. The charkha sits in their hall, reminding Anjali of her mother’s absence. She shoves it, denting the wood. Baba reminds her of the story of Rani of Jhansi by showing Anjali a picture she drew as a child. Rani was a queen who battled the British. Anjali used to think it was a story about her mother. Baba then suggests walking to the basti.

It’s early enough that no one else is in the streets, and Mohan apologizes to Anjali for her mother. He explains that his mother passed away when he was 10 because she had a fever and no one wanted to treat her. They couldn’t afford the medicine she needed. He adds that she taught him to make necklaces. Anjali then insists that they try to sell his necklaces just outside the basti.

While they wait, Mohan admits that she reminds him of a horse with blinders on because she’d see everything around him. He recounts the times that he’s been yelled at or had stones thrown at him because of how people think of his caste. He points out that a stray dog can move more freely through the town than he can.

Just as Anjali starts to lose hope, a car comes around the corner, and a British officer gets out with his wife. She asks what Mohan and Anjali are selling. Anjali replies, “Bahut purane mani hain […] Antiques” (210). The woman buys one, and as she leaves, Mohan teases Anjali about what she called the necklaces.

Pleased, Anjali tells Mohan that the British don’t care about the caste system, so Indians shouldn’t either. She thinks it’s a sign that change is possible. Mohan replies that even though Anjali’s mother is in prison, her work continues through Anjali.

Baba and Anjali receive permission to visit Ma. Anjali holds the drawing of Rani of Jhansi she made. The prison smells terrible. She spots Keshavji first, and they talk until the guards force her and Baba to move on. When they see Shailaja, Baba almost cries. He says that they’re working to get her out.

Ma tells Anjali about a boy whom Anjali saw who’s destined to hang. He’s 17 and set fire to a building. When Ma worked for Captain Brent, his refusal to pardon the boy or even ensure that he got a fair sentence was the final straw that pushed her to join the freedom movement. She admits that she sometimes doubts her decision. Anjali passes her the drawing and tells her that she’s brave.

The riots continue, and the school remains closed. The teacher is in Indore in hiding, and they must find someone to run the school.

Baba turns on the radio, which broadcasts details about Gandhi’s 21 day fast. Baba says that Gandhi is brave, but so are Ma and Anjali.

Just then, they hear a commotion outside and see a group of people kicking something. Their neighbor tells them that Suman received a necklace from Mohan, and Anjali realizes that they’re kicking her friend. Baba pulls Mohan from the circle, and the boy is bleeding and injured. Anjali thinks that it’s her fault since she said no one would care who made his necklaces. She tries to get him to go to a doctor that treats Dalits, but he replies that they’re “Untouchables.” He adds that she’s not changing the world and leaves.

In March, the animosity between Hindus and Muslims decreases. The school plans to open by the end of the month after Holi, the festival of colors. They visit Ma in prison. She looks ill and tells them that she and the others are fasting. Baba and Anjali point out that Gandhi finished his fast, and when Ma tries to convince her that she must do this, Anjali reveals that Mohan is gone and that she feels alone, especially since Irfaan isn’t talking to her. She plans to continue her fight, but Ma can’t quit either. She tries to make Ma promise to eat, but Ma’s only response is “Jai Hind” (230).

More graffiti is painted on Anjali’s family compound. She leaves the house and spots Irfaan, who ignores her. Then, she goes to the school and finds that her classroom was looted, and much of the furniture was destroyed. When she turns, she runs into her father. She feels like “[e]verything is going wrong” (234). She tells Baba that Mohan isn’t trying to fight, and Baba reminds her that his life has always been tough, that he’d been willing to support her school integration, and that only Mohan can decide what he needs to do to survive.

Then, they talk about Irfaan, and she explains that he blames her for what other Hindus did, admitting that she did the same with Muslims. Irfaan just needs time, but Anjali is tired of waiting. Unfortunately, Baba’s efforts to free Ma from prison have had no results. Anjali decides to visit Captain Brent.

Outside Captain Brent’s office, Baba and Anjali spot the woman whose son was just hanged. They apologize for her loss, and she chastises them for Anjali’s mother’s actions, noting that if she’d focused less energy on Dalits and more on “her own kind” (240), her son would be alive. Baba reminds her that the Dalits are no different from them.

When they go inside, Anjali explains that she needs help. She thinks that Captain Brent must have a heart since he saved her before and since Ma worked for him for a year. She tells her father that she’s going in alone.

Anjali tells Captain Brent that her mother was arrested because she wanted to bring Dalits to Anjali’s school. Captain Brent agrees that every Indian is the same to him and that he’s sorry her mother was arrested. Anjali asks him to pardon her, but he refuses, saying that Ma was arrested for inciting violence with her actions and words, not for trying to integrate the school.

As she leaves, Anjali points out that the violence hasn’t stopped since her mother was imprisoned, and she hears Captain Brent’s pen drop out of his hand.