Such a Long Journey

Before Gustad comes home from Mount Mary, Ghulam turns up at the Nobles’ apartment. When Dilnavaz tells him Gustad is not at home, he offers to wait in the compound. Instead, she invites him to wait inside, thinking it will allow her to warn Gustad when he returns. Tehmul begins shouting for Gustad through the window. Miss Kutpitia has sent Tehmul to tell Gustad he has a telephone message. Gustad arrives home and tells Dilnavaz to go see Miss Kutpitia about the phone call. He would prefer to speak to Ghulam on his own.

Ghulam shows Gustad a news article stating that the official in charge of determining if Jimmy should have a retrial was killed in a car accident. Ghulam says, “Now it’s just a matter of time. Please go and meet Bili Boy. Before they finish him off. Please” (234). Gustad resists. Even if Jimmy was set up by the government, Gustad still feels betrayed by him. Ghulam gives Gustad a train ticket and the prison’s address, urging him not to waste time. Gustad accepts.

Dilnavaz returns and tells Gustad that Dinshawji has just died. The hospital has been unable to contact his wife. Gustad confesses that he went to Mount Mary instead of visiting Dinshawji. He tells Dilnavaz about meeting Malcolm and about the miracles that happen at St. Mary’s. Dilnavaz understands; this is simply a different version of the rituals she learns from Miss Kutpitia. After making sure Dilnavaz sees that he is not crying, Gustad returns her hug. Roshan comes into the kitchen and sees her parents hugging; they tell her the sad news about Dinshawji.

At the hospital, Gustad discovers Dinshawji’s body is still in the ward. The nurses are waiting for Dinshawji’s wife to have the body collected. Gustad sits by the body until Dinshawji’s wife arrives. The other patients on the ward make Gustad feel uncomfortable, so he keeps his eyes on the bed where Dinshawji lies. Gustad regrets that Dinshawji was alone on his last day of life, and he reflects that all that remains is the memory of his friend. One day that will be gone too.

Dinshawji’s wife, Alamai, comes into the ward, trailed by her adult nephew whom she and Dinshawji raised as their own child. Alamai is dry-eyed, and she informs Gustad that she has notified the Tower of Silence and they will arrive in 30 minutes to take Dinshawji’s body for burial. Nusli, Alamai’s nephew-cum-son, is a nervous young man who behaves like a small child. He is afraid to get into the hearse unless Gustad accompanies them and gets in the car first. Alamai retrieves Dinshawji’s trunk of possessions from under the bed and takes inventory of its contents.

Gustad goes outside and, finding a bench in a peaceful spot, and dozes off, thinking of the country resort he visited with his family when he was a child. The honk of a car horn wakes Gustad and he sees the hearse. Nusli asks Gustad to get in first, and he does so. During the ride, Alamai begins to cry a little; when they arrive at the Tower of Silence, the ritual place of burial, she begins to sob, cry out, and rock back and forth. Gustad helps her arrange for prayers in the office. They get back into the car to drive to the place where the prayers will be offered. The rituals are performed, although they begin with Alamai arguing with the men who come to sponge clean Dinshawji’s body. The prayers fill the space, and Gustad is soothed by their sounds: “And as the notes and syllables were intoned, they mingled with the sounds of night” (248).

Dilnavaz is asleep by the time Gustad gets home. He tells her about the funeral rites and says that Dinshawji looked very peaceful. He says Dilnavaz will think he’s crazy, but he thought he saw Dinshawji smile as he was laid to rest. Dilnavaz replies, “Prayer is a very powerful thing” (248). When it’s his turn to leave this life, Gustad hopes he will be smiling too.

The bank manager sends a memo informing employees of Dinshawji’s death. The public funeral is so well attended that an overflow area is created to accommodate the crowd. Gustad sees how many people were touched by Dinshawji’s humor and good nature. Gustad and Mr. Madon sit in the front row with Alamai, who is again distraught, sobbing and crying out. The rituals are performed. Gustad wishes he could have been one of the pallbearers, but Alamai has used the traditional custom of professionals. At the end of the ceremony, all the men at the funeral will follow the procession up the hill to the well of vultures where Dinshawji’s body will be left. Nusli is afraid to go but agrees to walk with Gustad. The men, linked together by holding white handkerchiefs between them, walk behind the pallbearers. The women watch them go; Alamai weeps silently as she watches Dinshawji’s last journey.

When the procession arrives at the tower, Dinshawji’s body is placed on a stone platform. The men, in groups of two or three, approach and bow to the body. Dinshawji is carried inside the walls, and the mourners can only see the gathering vultures on the high walls. They begin the prayers “for Dinshawji’s ascending soul” (255). As they perform the ritual of hand washing, Gustad turns to Mr. Madon and asks to have Friday and Saturday off work. He doesn’t offer any explanation, but Mr. Madon agrees. As he leaves, Gustad returns Nusli to Alamai, who thanks Mr. Madon for coming to the funeral.

Gustad arrives at the train station to discover the railway is on strike. He joins the crowds of people waiting to hear updates on the loudspeaker. Despite Dilnavaz’s warnings not to eat or drink from public stalls, Gustad buys a cup of tea. The cup is dirty and the tea seller reprimands his young helper before washing the cup in dirty water. Gustad enjoys the tea anyway. He buys a newspaper and reads that the railway has promised the trains will be run during the strike by management and the army. This reassures Gustad that the Bombay to Delhi train will run.

Then there is an announcement that his train is boarding. A porter approaches Gustad on the platform and offers to reserve a seat for him for a small fee. Gustad agrees. People begin throwing their bags and climbing onto the train before it has even stopped at the platform. Gustad finds the porter sitting in a seat, which he relinquishes to Gustad after tucking Gustad’s small bag underneath. The compartment is overfull; there is a man stretched out on the overhead luggage rack. The train gets underway and after a short while, Gustad notices that the carriage feels less packed. People are making space for each other. The man in the luggage rack engages in chit-chat with Gustad, telling him he is travelling to Delhi to choose a wife. Gustad wishes the man wouldn’t confide in him. As the ride progresses, Gustad wonders if the trip will prove worthwhile. His thoughts turn to Dinshawji and his gift for making people laugh. Gustad reflects that Dinshawji’s journey too is long. After nightfall, the temperature drops and Gustad dozes off, his head against the train window.

Dilnavaz has a difficult day, full of household mishaps. She is worried about Sohrab and why Miss Kutpitia keeps telling her to wait patiently for her son to come around. Also, Dilnavaz has not yet repeated the ritual with Tehmul’s nails for Roshan, who has improved anyway. Miss Kutpitia’s warnings ring in Dilnavaz’s mind that she mustn’t be complacent about Roshan’s health even when she seems better. Dilnavaz also worries about Gustad taking the trip to Delhi to see Jimmy.

In the evening, Mr. Rabadi rings the doorbell. He wants to talk to Gustad, but when Dilnavaz says he isn’t there, he settles for talking to her. He complains that Darius has been holding on to Jasmine’s bike seat to help her balance and it looks bad to the neighbors. He wants Dilnavaz to tell Darius to stay away from his daughter. Darius comes in to see if his mother needs his help; his father made him man of the house before leaving for Delhi. When Mr. Rabadi see Darius, he begins shouting, and Dilnavaz tries to close the door on him. Darius gives the door the final push to close it, cutting Mr. Rabadi off mid-sentence. Dilnavaz is proud of her son but reprimands him anyway and asks him to stay away from the Rabadi family. Dilnavaz is more convinced than ever that Mr. Rabadi must be the source of the evil eye that has affected Roshan so badly. She plans to brew the concoction Miss Kutpitia recommended and wonders how she will wet Mr. Rabadi’s scalp with it as instructed.

During the night, the man from the luggage rack shakes Gustad awake and offers to trade places so Gustad can stretch out and sleep properly. The man helps Gustad climb up, his hands groping. More comfortable now that he can stretch out, Gustad drifts in and out of sleep. He feels someone’s hand on his thigh, then moving to his crotch. Gustad realizes he isn’t dreaming, turns over, and bangs the hand’s owner with his elbow, all while pretending to remain asleep. The fondling hand disappears and Gustad is undisturbed for the remainder of the night. He wakes to sunlight in his face and finds that his doubts about the trip have disappeared. He feels everything will be made right between himself and Jimmy. Gustad sees that the man from the luggage rack has a black eye. At the next station, Gustad buys him a cup of tea and drinks one himself, only just managing to finish it and get back on the train before it leaves again.

Gustad arrives in Delhi glad to stretch his legs but covered in dust from the trip. He cleans up in the station washroom, thankful Dilnavaz made him pack a towel and enjoying the refreshing cold water from the basin. He arrives at the prison only to be told that Major Bilimoria is unwell and has been moved to the hospital section. He is suffering from fever and delirium and is receiving treatment for infection.

Visitors are only allowed 30 minutes, but Gustad explains he has come from Bombay. The official who is taking Gustad to see Jimmy agrees to let him stay until three o’clock, allowing him four hours to sit with his friend. When he sees Jimmy asleep in the hospital bed and breathing raggedly, Gustad is shocked that his old friend looks so ravaged. Jimmy wakes and tries to explain that they’ve just given him an injection and he’ll be able to talk to Gustad properly in a little while. Gustad sits, holding Jimmy’s hand, for half an hour, after which Jimmy rouses and begins talking. He tells Gustad he has a tropical fever but he thinks he is getting better. Jimmy asks after Gustad’s family and says he misses the Khodadad Building, especially having daily morning prayer with Gustad.

He speaks a bit about his job with RAW, working for the creation of the state of Bangladesh. A nurse enters with another injection for Jimmy, and Gustad again waits for the medicine’s effect to ease so Jimmy can continue talking to him. While he sleeps, Gustad steps outside the room, where a police guard tells him that tea and snacks are available in the canteen.

Dilnavaz makes the special mixture to deal with Mr. Rabadi and his evil eye. She argues with the milkman to get a bit extra and finds mouse droppings to add to the potion. She easily finds droppings behind the blackout paper that Gustad has insisted they keep on the windows. Finally, she needs the egg-case of a spider. She finds and kills a spider, then performs the delicate task of bending back the legs to remove the cocoon. Dilnavaz adds these items to the mixture heating on the stove, which turns a dark color, everything melting and blending. The last step is to crumble in the melted alum that she and Miss Kutpitia had examined earlier. Finally the mixture is ready for use.

When Dilnavaz hears the Pomeranian barking in the compound, she knows Mr. Rabadi is taking the dog for its midday walk. She finds the perfect spot to stand and dumps the liquid mixture over the balcony onto Mr. Rabadi’s head. He shouts, thinking someone has thrown their curry out a window. Then the mixture drips into his eyes and he begins to shriek in pain. Dilnavaz knows she executed the plan perfectly. In fact, when she returns to the apartment, Roshan is up and complaining of wanting something to do. Perhaps the potion has already broken the spell. Dilnavaz goes to Miss Kutpitia’s apartment, but before they can really enjoy the success of the potion, Dilnavaz complains that she can’t wait any longer for the situation with Sohrab to improve. She’s at the end of her patience. She pleads with Miss Kutpitia to give her the final remedy, the magic she’s been holding back as too dangerous. Miss Kutpitia agrees but says if it goes wrong, the consequences will be on the younger woman’s head.

Finding a cardboard box, Miss Kutpitia says they need a lizard. When Dilnavaz hesitates, Miss Kutpitia goes to the back of her apartment and, after some scampering noises, comes back with a lizard trapped in the box. She instructs Dilnavaz to put the box under the bed where Sohrab slept and to bring it back in the morning. When Dilnavaz presses for what will happen next, Miss Kutpitia advises her to take one step at a time. Nevertheless, Dilnavaz takes the box and puts it under the bed as instructed, trying to imagine what Miss Kutpitia has in store for the lizard and Tehmul.

Jimmy is still woozy from the injection when Gustad comes back from the canteen. Gustad sits beside the bed and, as Jimmy rouses, he continues his story about how the prime minister trapped him by getting him to impersonate her and then sign a confession for her use if they were caught. He tells Gustad he did it because he trusted her. Gustad is chagrined to hear that Jimmy, who has always been so savvy, made such ill-considered decisions. When Jimmy realized what was happening, he thought he’d complete his assignment for the government and return to Bombay, keeping the money he sent to Gustad to divide between Gustad, Ghulam, and himself. Instead, he was arrested. Once Gustad returned the money, the authorities allowed Jimmy to be transferred to the hospital. He plans to recover from his illness, complete his four-year jail sentence, and return to Khodadad Building to retire. For now, he wants Gustad to forgive him. Gustad tells him, “Nothing to forgive, Jimmy” (280). The friendship is healed.

On the train back to Bombay, Gustad hears the prime minister announce that Pakistani Air Force planes have dropped bombs on various sites in India. As a result, India has declared war on Pakistan.

Dilnavaz goes to Miss Kutpitia’s apartment, the boxed lizard and Tehmul in tow, feeling the weight of whatever they are about to do. She’s aware that this will be a deeper magic with more serious consequences, acknowledging that “grinding spices on the masala stone was one thing, grinding events to a halt was another. It needed a different sort of strength” (282). Miss Kutpitia leads them into one of the locked rooms of her apartment, in the area no one has ever seen. When Dilnavaz hesitates, Miss Kutpitia impatiently urges her inside and turns on the overhead light. It’s the bedroom of Miss Kutpitia’s beloved nephew, Farad, who died many years ago. The room is intact, full of Farad’s rotted clothes and books, dust and cobwebs. Everything is covered in mold and mildew; the damp of the monsoon seasons have added to the process of decay. Dilnavaz can see through a second open door another bedroom that must have belonged to Farad’s father. It’s similarly intact and decayed.

Miss Kutpitia bustles about in a businesslike fashion, telling Tehmul to stand out of her way. She whacks the lizard over the head and cuts a few inches off its tail, inserting it into a glass lamp in place of the wick. She instructs Tehmul to sit down and watch the lamp, and tells Dilnavaz to wait in the hall. The chair Tehmul sits on immediately breaks, and Dilnavaz has to help him up before stepping outside. After lighting the lamp, Miss Kutpitia joins Dilnavaz in the hallway, saying it’s too dangerous to watch the lamp. For five minutes the two women stand in the hall breathing the acrid scent and listening to Tehmul giggle. When the proper amount of time has passed, Miss Kutpitia opens the door and sends Tehmul back out to the compound. Because they avoid looking, neither woman knows the burning lizard tail escaped the glass and landed on an old book.

As Gustad arrives home from the train station, he sees that the paintings on the black wall are complete. The painter has even painted an image of the black wall itself since it’s now a sacred place. The faithful have left flowers for the gods and goddess. The artist shows Gustad a Parsi priest he has painted and tells him it has an interesting story. Mr. Rabadi requested this priest, Dustoorji Baria, for the wall. Bamji, noticing it, told the artist this particular priest was a disgrace. Mr. Rabadi overheard the comments and he and Bamji argued. Gustad notices that some incense has gone out and, borrowing a match from the artist, tries to relight it. A fire engine turns into the compound. Tehmul waves excitedly. Gustad notices smoke coming from Miss Kutpitia’s apartment.

Luckily, Miss Kutpitia is not hurt, and the fire damage in her apartment is mostly confined to the two back bedrooms. Divine intervention seems to have kept the fire from burning down the entire building. Miss Kutpitia takes the loss in stride, enjoying the attention the crisis affords her. The fire seems to have provided the final bit of closure she needed to complete her grieving for the dead.

Dilnavaz helps Miss Kutpitia clean up and listens to Gustad recount his reunion with Jimmy. She feels happy for the first time in months, as if the shadow of the dark magic she was practicing with Miss Kutpitia has disappeared in the fire. Her good feelings extend to Jimmy, and she feels sure he will return to Khodadad Building when his four-year sentence is over. Gustad refrains from commenting on Jimmy’s future and says they must prepare now that India is at war with Pakistan. He is glad he left the blackout paper on all the windows and says Darius can help him mend the spots that need it. Gustad realizes there was no air-raid siren that morning, and he realizes this means he will only hear it now when it’s real.

Seeing Darius holding his father’s old hammer fills Gustad with the pride of family-feeling; “it meant something satisfying, fulfilling, at the deep centre of one’s being” (293). Gustad and Darius fix the blackout paper, make cardboard shades for all the lightbulbs, and create a makeshift air-raid shelter under the heavy bed in the master bedroom that includes water bottles, a flashlight, and a first-aid kit. Dilnavaz thinks Gustad is enlivened by the excitement of the preparations. She tells him Miss Kutpitia needs his help. The firemen forced all her windows open and now she cannot close them again. Gustad and Darius take their tools and help her. Afterward, Gustad comments to Dilnavaz that Miss Kutpitia seems a changed woman. Dilnavaz thinks Gustad seems more optimistic too.

Outside, Gustad checks that all the windows in Khodadad Building are blacked out. He finds Bamji blacking out his headlights. He’ll be on night duty. Gustad points out that the whole building is successfully dark. Bamji feels the enthusiasm is because of novelty; people will become careless, and anytime a light is seen, people will decide it’s a Pakistani spy.

Mr. Madon issues a list of instructions for handling air raids at the bank. The list makes Gustad think of Dinshawji and how he would have mocked Mr. Madon in the canteen. The radio broadcasts stories about the occupation of Bangladesh and the Indian army’s bravery. There are many stories of local Indian people giving their jewelry and other personal items, including shoes, to help the troops. Morale is reported to be high. When the Americans move the Seventh Fleet to the Bay of Bengal, Indians come to hate the names Nixon and Kissinger. Soviet ships follow the Americans, achieving a stand-off that results in no violence. The Americans stand down. As Gustad arrives home from work, he sees Cavasji yelling out the window at the sky. He’s violating the blackout but, just as Gustad is deciding whether to go upstairs and intervene, he sees Cavasji’s son leading him gently away from the window.

After midnight, the air-raid siren sounds for the third night in a row. Gustad and his family take their places under the big bed. Roshan clowns around with the flashlight; then they hear the sounds of shelling. Gustad decides to go outside to check the building. Outside, Gustad sees a sliver of moon and the searchlights in the sky; he hears the boom of guns. He walks around, making sure the Khodadad Building is in complete darkness.

Suddenly, he notices a slender rectangle of light from Tehmul’s apartment. Gustad runs to Tehmul’s apartment prepared to bang on the door. Then he remembers that Tehmul’s brother had given him a key. He uses the key to open the door, thinking that frightening Tehmul with his sudden appearance will help him be more careful in future. Inside, he hears heavy breathing and moaning. Entering Tehmul’s bedroom, Gustad sees Tehmul naked, his back to the door, kneeling over his bed. Gustad calls out Tehmul’s name, terrifying him and making him leap up, holding his erect penis in his hand. Gustad sees Roshan’s doll on Tehmul’s bed, her wedding clothes hung neatly over a chair. Gustad is embarrassed and angry and yells at Tehmul to stop what he’s doing. He throws Tehmul’s discarded pajama bottoms at him. Tehmul weeps and sobs, apologizing and trying to get dressed.

Gustad sends Tehmul to wash up and then examines Roshan’s doll, which is undamaged except for stains of dried semen. Tehmul comes back with clean hands, still crying and apologizing, saying the woman at the House of Cages wouldn’t touch him. Gustad feels his anger slipping away, sympathy taking its place. Although Tehmul has the intellect of a child, he has the body and instincts of an adult man. Gustad asks why he opened the window when he’d been told to keep it closed. Tehmul says he was too hot and continues to apologize. Gustad decides he can’t take the doll away from Tehmul; he needs it more than Roshan does. Tehmul is so moved when Gustad tells him he may keep the doll that he hugs Gustad, then kisses his hand.

Reminding Tehmul to leave the window closed no matter what, Gustad returns home, where he washes his hands and tells Dilnavaz everything is fine just as the all-clear sounds.

The liberation of Bangladesh draws closer as Indian forces advance. Gustad decides to visit Dr. Paymaster to ask if Roshan should continue taking medication now that she’s so much better. Dr. Paymaster is pleased to hear that and says, “And the other patient is also recovering,” by which he means Bangladesh (305). He details the civic problems in the neighborhood that the local government is refusing to deal with, including leaking water pipes and overflowing gutters.

Outside, a crowd has gathered to listen to Peerbhoy Paanwalla tell a story. It’s not his usual story about the prostitutes and their clients, but instead a new kind of story to capture the spirit of optimism pervading the culture. The women from the House of Cages have noticed a drop in trade as the men prefer listing to Peerbhoy Paanwalla and go home when the stories are finished. Peerbhoy has a new product as well, the “Patriotic Paan,” which is selling well (305). At the end of the story on this night, Peerbhoy Paanwalla quotes Winston Churchill’s famous line, “But it is the end of the beginning,” to the applause of those who get the reference (309).

Gustad sets off home, knowing Dilnavaz will worry until he gets there. In the compound, Gustad finds Tehmul crawling around on his hands and knees, looking for something in the darkness. He is delighted by the beam of Gustad’s flashlight, which reveals what Tehmul was looking for: the tiny bracelet from Roshan’s doll. Tehmul is overjoyed to find it but sad when Gustad turns the flashlight off.

Pakistan surrenders. The city celebrates, and Gustad once again decides to leave the blackout paper on the apartment windows. He and Darius dismantle the under-the-bed shelter and remove the shades from the lightbulbs. Dilnavaz wants the blackout paper to come down, but Gustad puts her off. He goes outside and sees that the wall artist has completed his tiny shelter and is busy managing the visitors to the wall. “Victory in Bangladesh is making me work overtime,” the artist says (310). At work each day, Gustad borrows a newspaper to read the articles and analyses of the war. After lunch hour, alone in the canteen, Gustad comes upon a tiny column announcing the death of Major Jimmy Bilimoria. Jimmy is reported to have died of a heart attack while serving his jail sentence. Gustad tears the article from the paper and puts it in his pocket.

Dr. Paymaster’s office and the other businesses are all closed on the day of the government protest, a demonstration designed to get the local government to fix the problems in the neighborhood. The locals are fed up with the rats, sewer problems, leaking pipes, and uncollected garbage; “hundreds and thousands gathered, eager to march, arm in arm and shoulder to shoulder, to alleviate the miseries of the neighborhood” (312). Even Peerbhoy Paanwalla and Dr. Paymaster, wearing his white doctor’s coat, line up to march. Everyone emulates the doctor and dresses in the uniform of their trade, carrying their tools. The protesters also have four wagons full of filth collected from the overflowing gutters, piles of dead rats, and stacks of garbage to dump in the lobby of the municipal building. Everyone carries placards and banners. Along with wearing his coat, Dr. Paymaster plans to carry his doctor bag. As he looks at it, thinking of emptying its contents to lighten his load, he realizes his work bag has never once been empty since he began his career. Changing his mind, he leaves the bag full and clips on his stethoscope. Going outside, Dr. Paymaster sees Peerbhoy Paanwalla at the head of the column of people. Stepping forward, he takes his place alongside the Paanwalla in his place of honor.

Her morning jobs completed, Dilnavaz sits with the newspaper she’s borrowed from Miss Kutpitia, scanning the death announcements. It’s her usual practice to reassure herself that no one she knows has died. On the first page, however, she sees a small notice announcing that the funeral of J. Bilimoria would take place that morning. When she shows the notice to Gustad, he’s also confused. He wonders how the body was brought to Bombay since Jimmy had no family. They agree that it’s likely the funeral of a different J. Bilimoria. After a while, Dilnavaz confesses that she’s worried that it might actually be their Jimmy.

Gustad decides he better go to the Tower of Silence for the funeral just in case. After the funeral, when it’s clear that it was Jimmy Bilimoria, Gustad wonders who arranged the service and had the body sent from Delhi. He is relieved that he was there; Jimmy would have had no mourners otherwise. Gustad goes to inquire at the office, hoping they will share the name of the person behind Jimmy’s funeral. After dealing with dissatisfied customers and complaints about the vultures, the clerk has no patience for Gustad’s questions. He says someone made the arrangements and the officials declined to poke their noses where they don’t belong. As for the ad in the paper, those are only placed by family. As he leaves, Gustad sees a man with a moustache at the wheel of a taxi. His moustache matches Jimmy’s, and Gustad thinks he knows the man.

Gustad’s friend Malcolm reviews plans and drawings at his job working for the municipality. His work as a piano teacher is drying up, and he needed a job with a regular paycheck. One of the documents he is looking at includes the word “demolition,” so he rereads the file more carefully. He doesn’t want to overlook anything that might be important. It’s nearly time to meet up with the working crew and head off to the jobsite. He has a few minutes to spare for a quick cup of tea in the canteen, and as he drinks it, Malcolm ponders the name of the building, Khodadad Building. He almost makes the connection that this is Gustad’s home, but it eludes him. Setting off for the jobsite in the truck, Malcolm focuses on the job at hand.

Sohrab has come to see Dilnavaz during Gustad’s usual work hours. Dilnavaz tells him Gustad will be home soon and he should speak nicely to his father. Sohrab is surprised, and his mother realizes he doesn’t know any of their recent news, including the deaths of Dinshawji and Jimmy. She tells him the whole story, including the fact that Gustad has gone to Jimmy’s funeral in case it was really him. Sohrab tells his mother it’s no good taking to Gustad. He believes his father has no further use for him. Dilnavaz thinks how alike Sohrab and Gustad are. After a moment, Sohrab gives in, telling his mother he’ll stay and talk to Gustad for her sake.

As Gustad gets closer to the taxi, he realizes the driver is Ghulam Mohammed, and he knows without asking that Ghulam is the one who arranged Jimmy’s funeral and paid to get his body to Bombay. Ghulam brushes aside Gustad’s gushing thanks. As a non-Parsi, Ghulam wasn’t allowed inside the Tower of Silence, and he’s glad Gustad was there to pray for Jimmy. Ghulam offers to take Gustad home in the taxi, no charge. The men talk about Ghulam’s continuing work for RAW; it’s safer for him than leaving the organization. He is planning revenge for Jimmy’s downfall and death, no matter how long it takes. He says the prime minister’s life could be taken just as easily as Jimmy’s. His words fill Gustad with fear. When the taxi gets stuck in traffic, Gustad says he will get out and walk. Shaking Ghulam’s hand, he knows he will never see the man again.

Arriving at the Khodadad Building and seeing the painted wall, Malcolm realizes why the name sounded familiar. He attaches the court order overruling the landlord’s objection to the pillar, wondering which apartment belongs to Gustad. Malcolm reluctantly orders the workmen to begin. When taking measurements, the workmen discover that the neem tree in the courtyard must be cut down. Two workers go to remove the tree, while others continue unloading equipment from the truck.

The demonstration, led by Dr. Paymaster and Peerbhoy Paanwalla, enters the street, cheering and waving banners. Crowds of people gather. The marchers chant typical Bombay political chants. They reach the black wall, and one of the demonstration leaders signals a halt. He calls out to the marchers, “What better place than this sacred wall of miracles to pause and meditate upon our purpose?” (326). One of the workers says that the wall is about to be knocked down. Agitation spreads through the demonstrators, and the organizers approach Malcolm to ask if it’s true that the wall is coming down. Malcolm nods. The head organizer says it’s impossible; the wall cannot be taken down because it’s sacred. Malcolm admits he’d prefer not to tear it down, but he’s not in charge of such decisions. The decisions are made by the municipality.

This inflames the marchers as it adds to their list of grievances against the municipality. The city workers tell the marchers they have to carry out the municipal orders or they will lose their jobs. One of the prostitutes from the House of Cages steps out of the demonstration line carrying a tire-treading tool. She swings it around threateningly and tells the workers if they touch the wall, which includes an image of Yellamma, goddess of prostitutes, she will castrate all of them. The men step back, uncomfortable and unwilling to retaliate. There is silence.

Gustad reaches the building in time to hear the prostitute threaten the workers. Malcolm spots Gustad and waves him over. Gustad is unable to reach him through the crowd. Everyone is in an uproar, and the police have ordered reinforcements. Gustad wonders what Malcolm is doing there but can’t spot him in the crowd any longer.

Then Gustad sees the wall painter and Tehmul behind the building gates. Tehmul is overcome with excitement at the crowds and the big machines. Gustad praises him for staying out of harm’s way. The artist tells Gustad the workers want to take down his wall. Gustad wishes for words to console the man. Suddenly, Gustad sees Dr. Paymaster in the crowd, and he walks out, calling the doctor’s name. Tehmul follows, and Gustad tells him to go back inside the compound. Finding the doctor, Gustad shakes his hand and thinks he has never seen the doctor so exhilarated. Gustad guides Dr. Paymaster to the edge of the crowd as the doctor explains the confrontation between the demonstrators and the construction workers. It wasn’t part of the plan but fits in nicely with their protest against the municipality.

Gustad goes back to the gate and sees his neighbors watching the action and arguing about the outcome. Gustad asks Bamji if he might help calm the crowd with his authority as a policeman. Bamji laughs, shaking his head and saying he is off duty. Sohrab comes outside, and Gustad is surprised to see him. Bamji uses a curse word, which Tehmul repeats over and over until Bamji smacks him on the head and tells him to stop. Malcolm appears on the sidewalk and tells Gustad that he’s in charge of the site. He’s just called the city to report the protest. He disappears back into the crowd. Cavasji opens his window and yells out his complaints. Suddenly, the mood in the crowd shifts and, with insults and screams, brutal fighting breaks out.

The marchers outnumber the construction crew, but the workers have stronger weapons, such as pickaxes and crowbars. Marchers use their tools or items they find on the ground, such as broken bottles and rocks.

Tehmul moves closer and closer to the gate, enthralled by the action. Gustad reminds him to stay inside, but Tehmul goes out onto the sidewalk, watching the rocks and other objects hurled through the air. Tehmul wants to catch a rock and moves into position. Gustad calls for him to come back. A brick flies through the air and hits Tehmul on the forehead. He drops to the ground.

Horrified, Gustad runs over, ignoring a rock that hits his own back, and drags Tehmul back inside the compound. He shouts to Sohrab to find Dr. Paymaster. At Bamji’s suggestion, Miss Kutpitia goes to her apartment to call an ambulance. Sohrab returns with the doctor, who tends to unconscious Tehmul, instructing Gustad to staunch the bleeding while he gives Tehmul an injection. Tehmul’s eyes open and he says, “Gustad. Thank you, Gustad,” before shutting his eyes again (334). Dr. Paymaster feels for Tehmul’s pulse then gives him a second injection in the chest. When he checks Tehmul’s blood pressure, he shakes his head sadly. Tehmul has died.

The neighbors feel they must move Tehmul’s body and agree to place him under the neem tree. They will cover him with a sheet until the hearse arrives. Bamji and Mr. Rabadi go to lift Tehmul and carry him, but Gustad picks up the body himself and carries it, with no trace of a limp, to Tehmul’s apartment. He lays Tehmul on his bed. He buttons Tehmul’s shirt, removes his shoes, and covers him with a sheet. Gustad dresses the doll and slips it into the bed next to Tehmul’s body.

Realizing he has lost his cap, Gustad looks for something to cover his head so he can begin to pray for Tehmul. In the end, he uses Tehmul’s pajama top and repeatedly recites prayers for Tehmul and for Dinshawji and Jimmy, with tears in his eyes. Gustad doesn’t know how long he has sat there when Sohrab comes for him. Their eyes meet, and Gustad gets up, taking his son in his arms.

The police have blocked off the area around the building where the carts of sewage were overturned in the fighting. Malcolm complains to Gustad that someone threw a rat that hit him right in the face. He declines Gustad’s offer to come inside to wash, saying he has already washed in an open hydrant. Now he is waiting for new workers to replace those who were hurt. The men are working on taking down the wall. As the first hunk of wall goes down, the artist finds Gustad and tells him it is time for him to move on. Gustad asks where the artist will go. He doesn’t know but asks if he may take some twigs from the neem tree to clean his teeth. Gustad agrees and wishes him good luck. Then Gustad notices that the man is leaving behind his paints and brushes. When he points it out, the artist says he has his original box of crayons and that will be all he needs. Seeing Gustad’s cap on the street, the artist tosses it to him and then walks off, disappearing into the future. Two men cut down the neem tree. Gustad goes into his apartment and pulls the blackout paper down.