The Storyteller's Secret

After Amisha’s death, Janna helps Deepak to choose a new wife to pick up the household duties and look after the children. Deepak’s new wife Omi is one “whose family had wealth but whose heart was cold” (365). Amisha’s memory haunts Omi, who becomes resentful toward infant Lena, believing her to be cursed for being born under the new moon.

Omi often beats Lena for the smallest mistakes. When Ravi confronts Deepak about this, Deepak reveals that Omi found Amisha and Stephen’s love letters. He knows that Lena is not his daughter. Deepak has “a reputation to maintain” (367) and threatens to place Lena in the village orphanage if Ravi ever reveals her parentage. Deepak also dismisses Ravi. Ravi suggests Deepak send Lena to Stephen, but Deepak tells him that Stephen died a few weeks after Amisha.

Ravi finds work “as a city worker who picked up the feces left by the wandering animals” (368) in the streets. He keeps regular contact with Amisha’s sons, who tell him of Lena’s mistreatment at home. Before the boys leave for college overseas, Paresh tells Ravi that Lena has received two offers of marriage: one from a young man moving to America to become a doctor, the other from a family that runs a sewing business.