Chapter 15, Derawar Summary

Grandfather dies during the night. They had all felt he would. They wash his body. Before the day begins, Dadi and Shabanu go into the village to find a place to bury Grandfather. They go to the graveyard of the nawab's family, only to be told of the bureaucratic red tape they must go through to get permission to buy him there. They go to the keeper of the fort, who repeats the information. They are in a rush to bury Grandfather's body before the heat causes it to start decomposing. Finally, they decide to make desert cement from clay, rock, and water and use it to create a tomb in the desert for Grandfather. They dig and cement an area, then bury Grandfather. Shabanu is not sad for him, because she believes he is in a better place. However, she...