Summary

Bijoli watches as slowly the two ponds fill with waste, clogged with the assorted detritus of humanity. All over Calcutta, ponds and wetlands are being filled in to make room for more housing. She remembers how Subhash and Udayan had used the ponds to cool off in the summer, and how less fortunate people even bathed in them at one time. Still, at the same hour each day, she goes to the courtyard to pick flowers to put on Udayan’s stone after she cleans it. Bijoli is still angry that Udayan’s body was never returned.

The year following Udayan’s death, Bijoli’s husband retired. Instead, he rose before dawn and took a tram to Babu Ghat to bathe in the Ganges. At home, he remained in his room and read. At one point, he suggested selling the house...