Summary

Chapter 4 takes place almost entirely in the nursing home in New Jersey. After the insurance company agreed in Chapter 3 to pay for Birju to live in a nursing home, the Mishra family moved from Queens, New York, to Metuchen, New Jersey. The nursing home was close to their home, and Shuba continued going every day. Ajay would join her after school.

Shuba and Rajinder decided to move to Metuchen, New Jersey, because it was one of the only towns with a temple. As religion is important to the Mishra family, especially to Shuba, proximity to a temple was important.

At the nursing home, Ajay does the same things he did with Birju while Birju resided in the hospital: read to him, talk to him, and sit by his bedside. Mr. Narayan, the pundit from their local temple, is introduced in this chapter. He visits...