Chapter 21 Summary

Bibi tells Nazneen that Shahana ran away with her friend Nishi. Nazneen runs out hoping to find them at the Shalimar Café on Brick Lane, where Bibi says they planned to meet before taking the train to Paignton. Nazneen finds that riot police have blockaded Brick Lane because of disturbances. Nazneen slips around them during a distraction and runs right into the middle of the riot where groups of boys are toppling a police car, throwing things, and chanting, "Long Live the Bengal Tigers!" The black man from the meetings is there praying in the center of it all, and Nazneen makes him run to safety. When he stops to pray again she leaves him and hides with the others. The Questioner is in the middle of the chaos asking through a megaphone why they are fighting each other, and a reporter...