Genre
Short story; realistic fiction.
Setting and Context
Set in early-1900s India before its formal independence from Britain, the story takes place in the household of a nawab (high-ranking Muslim akin to a viceroy).
Narrator and Point of View
The story is narrated in the first-person perspective by an unnamed narrator who is recalling her experience as a girl.
Tone and Mood
The tone is contemplative and naive; the mood is one of confusion and fear.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is the narrator; the antagonist is Begum Jaan.
Major Conflict
The major conflict is that the narrator finds herself as the object of Begum Jaan's sexual desire when Begum Jaan's masseuse is away. The narrator does not know how to articulate her fear or escape Begum Jaan's predatory attention.
Climax
The story reaches its climax when the narrator turns on the light in the night and catches a glimpse of Begum Jaan and her masseuse having sex under a quilt.
Foreshadowing
Understatement
Allusions
Chughtai makes an allusion to the Hajj, which is a holy Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca.
