Summary

Bhima walks home and wonders if Maya will want to go to the seaside that evening. The walks seem to be helping Maya return to her old self. She plans to talk to Maya about going back to college soon. She believes that Maya will understand now how important education is since she has heard Bhima’s story about the accountant.

When Bhima enters her hut, she finds Maya reading a letter. Maya says she was not looking for it and that she never knew about it. Bhima had had to have a neighbor read the letter to her. She had saved it for years, but only heard it read once. She asks Maya to read it. Maya protests, saying they should not bring up the past. Bhima tells her “the past is always present” (235). Maya reads the letter. In it, Gopal...