Summary

In Part 1:Chapter 1, Begam Nihal, her daughter Mehro, and nephew Masroor are lying in their beds on a late, hot evening waiting for the family patriarch, Mir Nahal to come home. When Mir Nahal enters, Begam Nihal begins to talk to him about the marriage of their son, Asghar as well as the engagement of their daughter. Mir Nahal wonders about Asghar and states that he does not like the friendship between Asghar and a young man named Bundoo. As they are talking, Mir Nahal hears a noise coming from his pigeon house. He goes to look in and finds a snake among the birds. He calls to the house servant Dilchain to bring his stick, but the snake goes down a drain pipe to escape. Mir Nahal grabs the snake with his hands and kills it so he may return to...