Bombay, India

The novel is set in Bombay, India. Both Bhima and Sera live there, but their experiences of the city are very different because of where they live. Sera lives in a nice area, while Bhima lives in the slums. The author describes the city as loud and busy. In some places,it is dirty. People crowd the streets and compete for space on the buses.

The Slums

Bhima and Maya live in the slums of Bombay. They were forced to move there from a nicer apartment after Bhima’s husband had an accident and could no longer work. They live in a small hut and use a communal toilet, which Bhima hates. She has never felt like part of the community of the slums. Because she once lived in a better area and had more money than the people in the slums, she still holds herself above...