Chapter 9
Mir Nihal remembers how he and his brother, Mir Jamal, lived through the massacres of 1857, and lost almost all their property to the British. They had grown very close as a result of these experiences, and with his brother’s widow, Begam Jamal, leaving their household, Mir Nihal feels stunned, and weeps with grief. He no longer takes joy even in catching rats, and sits around all day doing very little.
Habibuddin’s health has worsened, and he comes home permanently to be treated. Various religious mystics, hakims, faqirs, doctors, and friends come by with different remedies for his illness. Some worry that he has been overtaken by a jinn, or evil spirit. However, no charms or prayers improve his condition. He has many visitors, including family members, and Mir Nihal is happy to have people around. Asghar calls upon Dr. Mitra, the same doctor who treated Bilqeece. The doctor diagnoses Habibuddin with tuberculosis, and gives home some medicine. The women continue to believe he has been the victim of witchcraft, especially after they find an earthen doll underneath the oven. But neither the doctor’s medicine nor their superstitions are working. The family begins to despair, realizing that he will not get better.
Chapter 10
Habibuddin asks for forgiveness from those around him, before falling into a coma. On the night of his death, he appears to be in a different world, and says he can see his grandfather and Uncle Jamal. The whole household is in hysterics. Nasim does not really understand death, and though he is gripped with dread, thinks his father in simply a deep sleep.
On the day of his funeral, his body is washed and he is wrapped in winding sheets. His body is carried to the cemetery, and Mir Nihal has to be carried behind the casket in a carriage. He sobs, lamenting how he cannot help carry his son. He looks unkempt, and his carriage must be brought to the grave so that he can toss some dirt upon it.
As the guests return to the house for food, Asghar notices Chanbeli is there. Bilqeece’s old servant hands him a letter from Zohra. It says that she is being married to someone else, and that she loves only him and does not know what to do. Asghar is devastated, and Chanbeli, reassuring him, asks who can meddle in God’s affairs.
Mir Nihal lies in bed, feeling that his world has fallen apart. He is surrounded by death, and life has been sapped of all its beauty. As night falls, he is paralyzed with grief and sadness.
Analysis
