Sister of My Heart

The whole household crowds into Gouri’s bedroom, which is usually her private refuge. Singhji takes command of the situation, recalling the heartbroken Nalini to her maternal duties. Gouri asks to speak to Anju alone. When Anju returns, she laughs bitterly, stating that her vow that the cousins will share the same destiny has been ironically fulfilled. Gouri has suffered a mild heart attack and has resolved to arrange Anju’s marriage as soon as possible.

Nalini is putting the girls through a rigorous regimen of preparations for their weddings, with beauty treatments and lessons in cooking and sewing. Nouri is refusing to undergo bypass surgery for her heart as she does not want to risk leaving the girls alone before they are married. Anju is angry that both the marriage proposals and the offers to buy the bookshop, which is now up for sale, are poorer than the mothers had hoped. Anju attributes the poor offers to the rumor of Gouri’s illness having spread. Anju hears Sudha weeping and offers to intervene with the mothers on her behalf, but Sudha refuses.