Summary

The last section begins with a third story designed to “save your life” (253). In this story, which is a monologue, a parent reassures listeners, most likely children, that djinns, powerful and invisible, are real. Their origins are mysterious. The narrator cautions not to blame the djinns for unexplained mischief. The spirits, it is argued, are also willing to assist those who come in earnest petition for help. The narrator recounts the visit of a father to the ruins of a temple where the djinns lived. The man thanks the djinns for providing his daughter at last with a suitable husband. The djinns accept his thanks and remind him that “Whenever bad air hovers around you, trust us, the djinns, will make it vanish” (256).

The new year begins. Runu-Didi, upset over her father’s slap, tells Jai at school that she needs to stay...