52 pages • 1 hour read
The Space Between Us
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Book 2, Chapters 20-25Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Book 2, Chapter 20 Summary
Dinaz has a sudden hankering for chaat at the seaside and persuades Sera and Viraf to come along. On the way, they remark that it is now almost three years since Feroz died. The last time Sera came to the seaside for chaat was with Feroz, a few days before his death. Sera reminisces on Feroz’s death. Feroz had changed after Banu’s death, confessing to Sera that it was difficult for him to watch Banu grieve after Freddy’s death. Sera suggested going away for a while, and Feroz promised they would once Banu was more stable.
Three days later, Feroz came home early from work complaining of a general uneasiness, and lay down for a while. Sera made him some soup and went to wake him later in the evening. She found him dead in bed, his eyes still open. Sera broke down sobbing, while Bhima consoled her. Viraf and Dinaz arrive shortly after. Viraf pronounced Feroz “a prince of a man” (262). Sera had a moment of clarity as she realized that Feroz was being rewritten in a much more favorable light moments after his death.
In the present, Sera thinks about how the past three years have been the happiest of her life, with the children living with her and a grandchild to look forward to. Even after moving out of Freddy and Banu’s place, Feroz hadn’t stopped beating Sera, as she had hoped. She is grateful that she now has the life she always wanted. As they look for a food stall, Dinaz suddenly spots Bhima and Maya at one and waves them over, despite Viraf’s protestations.
Book 2, Chapter 21 Summary
Bhima lights up and heads over to Dinaz, dragging a reluctant Maya along. Maya spitefully comments on Dinaz’s pregnant belly and how Sera “fixed” her own. As Dinaz asks Viraf to say hello, Bhima suddenly notices that he looks flustered and guilty, while Maya is staring at him with rapt attention. Viraf excuses himself to get the car; Dinaz hugs Maya before she and Sera leave, and while the women walk away, Bhima suddenly realizes that Viraf is the mystery father.
Bhima confronts Maya, accusing her of being seamless and ungrateful, as Sera’s family is responsible for everything they have. Maya counters that everything they have is because of Bhima’s hard work; Sera only educated Maya because she thought Maya was a dumb child who needed to be saved. Maya asks why Bhima is so quick to blame her and assume she is the one who did something wrong: “Why do you love their family even more than you love your own?” (270). Remembering the hate in Maya’s eyes when she saw Sera and her family, Bhima first asks Maya if Viraf hurt her, then gently urges Maya to tell her what really happened.
Book 2, Chapter 22 Summary
Content Warning: This chapter discusses a sexual encounter where consent is not clear.
Maya tells Bhima what really happened. Maya was making tea in Banu’s kitchen when Viraf unexpectedly arrived in the early evening to check in on Banu and do her accounts. He was uncharacteristically agitated, complaining about a pregnant Dinaz’s temper, which made Maya cringe. Eager to help soothe him, Maya offered to make Viraf some tea. When she went to collect the cup from the room Viraf was working in, she found him lying on the bed.
Viraf asked Maya to massage a sore spot in his neck. Midway through, he turned around and pushed her onto the bed; Maya did not protest, as she thought it wouldn’t matter. As the encounter ended, the phone rang; Dinaz was calling for Viraf. After speaking to her, Viraf took a shower and made Maya wash the blood-stained sheets. He told Maya she did a bad thing by tempting and taking advantage of him in a moment of weakness; however, he will forgive her if she never tells anyone what happened. Angry and weeping, Maya pointed out that he was the one who jumped on her, but Viraf asserts that no one will believe her. Maya was filled with remorse and shame as Viraf left, reminding her again to wash the sheets.
Book 2, Chapter 23 Summary
Bhima feels a deep and sharp hatred for everyone who has ever insulted or betrayed her: The doctor at the hospital in Delhi; the accountant at Gopal’s workplace; the doctor who treated Gopal; Gopal; and now, Viraf. She wonders how he feels about having killed one unborn child with another on the way and recalls his insistence on the abortion. She realizes Maya insisted that Sera accompany her, so the Dubash family would be forever implicated in the death of her child.
Bhima decides to confront Viraf and let him know she has the power to destroy him. The next Saturday, Viraf tries to avoid giving Bhima by leaving early, but Bhima insists on accompanying him. As they leave, Sera comments on how Maya is still not looking well after her ordeal, and hopes she has learned from it, as “a girl’s biggest asset is her virtue” (285). Bhima must restrain herself from responding.
Viraf ignores Bhima and does not talk to her in the car. She finally states she has something to say, but then breaks down crying, “Viraf baba, whywhywhywhywhy” (287). Spent and exhausted, Bhima realizes she will never tell Sera and Dinaz the truth, as she does not want to hurt the two people who have always treated her like a human being.
Viraf finally comments that they must find the strength to go on, before asking how Maya is, to which Bhima does not respond. As they reach the market, Viraf asks if they need help with anything. Bhima refuses, asserting that although they are poor, everything they have is rightfully earned. Bhima’s stubbornness irritates Viraf. Bhima bids him goodbye, addressing him as “Viraf Seth” (Viraf sir) and not her usual, affectionate “baba” (boy). She is satisfied seeing the hurt on his face.
Book 2, Chapter 24 Summary
Viraf and Dinaz are out and Sera’s house is quiet. Sera asks Bhima for a cup of tea before she leaves. As Bhima prepares it, she reflects on how Sera is different, more pensive when she is alone. Especially after Feroz passed away, she used to frequently forget to eat and drink until Bhima nagged her to do so. Bhima finally mentioned this to Dinaz when she came visiting, following which Dinaz and Viraf moved in. Bhima now regrets having said anything; if Dinaz and Viraf had never moved in, Maya may have been spared what happened.
Bhima takes tea for Sera and herself in their regular cups, and they assume their usual stances in the living room as they drink. Sera tells Bhima that Dinaz is out with her friends, but Viraf didn’t go along; he is at Banu’s house, settling accounts, and is expected back home soon. Sera reflects on how women like her and Bhima live for more than themselves; they live for their children. For the first time in a long time, Sera feels happy and hopeful about life, with her grandchild’s arrival imminent.
Viraf arrives while Bhima is still finishing her tea and wondering what to do with Maya, who has refused a seaside visit after the run-in with the Dubash family. Bhima overhears Viraf say her name before Sera summons her. Viraf reveals that a sum of 700 rupees (roughly eight USD) is missing from Banu’s cupboard, and accuses Bhima of stealing it, as she was the last one to lock that cupboard. Bhima is initially shocked into silence. Sera weakly defends Bhima, prompting Bhima to laugh hysterically.
Viraf threatens to call the police, which snaps Bhima out of her laughter. She angrily threatens to tell them what Viraf did, inadvertently revealing his involvement with Maya. Sera looks questioningly to Viraf for a moment, before immediately moving into denial. She orders Bhima to leave the house immediately, as she cannot tolerate Bhima dishonoring her family. Sera refuses to listen to any further explanation, asserting whatever Maya did is her business.
Bhima sees the satisfaction on Viraf’s face and realizes there is no way she will win. Bhima begs Sera’s forgiveness, as it will be near impossible for Bhima to find other work at her age, but Sera stands firm. Bhima collects her things, heartbroken that she will not be able to bid Dinaz goodbye. Viraf sees her out and slams the door in her face while Bhima declares her gratitude to Sera for everything she has done for Bhima.
Book 2, Chapter 25 Summary
It is dusk as Bhima emerges from the apartment building. As Bhima walks, she ruminates on Sera’s expression when she revealed the truth. She wonders if the truth will haunt her and build a wall between her and Viraf. Bhima realizes that despite the years spent with Sera, she knows her more through her mannerisms and routines, such as how she likes her tea or behaves in a crowd, rather than what she thinks.
Bhima reflects on the gap between herself who is uneducated, and the well-read and worldly Sera. She remembers an incident when Sera had educated her in response to Bhima’s hatred for Muslims ingrained by her Hindu upbringing. Sera had shown her facts and information in newspaper articles, explaining how unlike what right-wing politicians claimed, it was the much smaller Muslim community who were marginalized and mistreated in the country. Politicians played both communities against each other, who had lived in peace until the British arrived in India and sowed the first seeds of communal dissent.
Bhima thinks about the missing money and how Viraf cunningly trapped her, possibly after months of calculation. She could have possibly spoken to Sera separately afterward and resolved the misunderstanding, as Sera had a strong sense of fair play and trusted Bhima. She prays that Sera remains in denial, upset that she has hurt Sera by revealing the truth.
The separation from Sera feels like death for Bhima. Bhima chides herself for grieving people who treated her as expendable. She heads to the seaside and sits watching the waves for a long time, wishing for one to wash her away. Suddenly, she remembers the Afghan balloon seller’s face, and imagines his voice whispering to her and comforting her. Bhima remembers how he made beauty out of loneliness with his balloons. Her heart lightens, her fear fades, and she feels a sudden sense of freedom.
Bhima finds a balloon seller and buys whatever she can from him for 20 rupees. She makes her way to the edge of the water over the rocks and lets the balloons go, watching them float away over the water. Bhima stares at the sea, waiting for an answer. Although she feels like she could stand there forever, she reflects that tomorrow is a new day. She vows to face tomorrow for Maya’s sake, along with all the other residents of the sprawling metropolis of Bombay (current Mumbai): “It is dark, but inside Bhima’s heart it is dawn” (321).
Book 2, Chapters 20-25 Analysis
The climactic clash over the truth of Maya’s pregnancy reveals the worldviews of the characters and their places in India’s Social Fabric of Class, Caste, Gender, and Religion. Bhima accuses her granddaughter of ingratitude toward the family that has given them everything they have, while Maya points out the flaw in this logic, even as she is deeply hurt and upset by Bhima’s accusations: Everything they have is a product of Bhima’s hard work, not Sera’s generosity. Maya, as part of the younger generation, does not buy the narrative sold to Bhima that she is beholden to the whims of her wealthy benefactors who “deserve” more than her. Similarly, Maya was already in school in Delhi, before she ever arrived in Bombay. Sera sponsoring Maya’s education feeds a savior complex, as Sera believes that she was granting the young girl something life-changing that she could not have accessed otherwise.
How the characters react to one another within this climax reveals the inner workings of misogyny and abuse within the novel. When Bhima finally learns the truth about Maya’s pregnancy, she is filled with a deep hatred for people who have exploited her, all of whom are men. Viraf’s actions once again demonstrate how, across the book, the men transgress repeatedly and women must bear the burden of their mistakes. Sera’s lack of involvement in her children’s marriage leads her to ignoring negative signs, just as her mother did with Sera’s marriage to Feroz. Women aid the perpetuation of this abuse by either valuing the men around them more than women or otherwise perpetuating misogynistic beliefs about other women (such as Banu’s behavior toward Sera, or Bhima’s assumption that Maya must be to blame). Bhima could have never won the climactic conflict because Viraf’s education, wealth, background, and gender all give him the upper hand.
The “space” between Bhima and Sera is ultimately too much to overcome, despite their shared experiences as women who have lived together for years. Umrigar ends the novel by repeating a scene from the novel’s beginning: Bhima and Sera sip tea together once again. Despite all they have shared, they continue to sit in different places, and use different utensils. This external divide symbolizes their internal divide. Bhima holds Viraf’s crime close to her heart, while Sera reflects on the similarities in both their lives and the happiness she feels at the impending arrival of her grandchild. Sera can rest easy because her daughter is not in an economically precarious position that allows men to exploit her as easily as Maya. Shortly after, Viraf comes in with his accusation that Bhima has stolen money, and Bhima lets slip the truth in anger. There is a moment when Sera does question the veracity of Bhima’s assertion, but she cannot let herself believe it. The paltry amount of money makes Sera’s hesitation absurd, while revealing the rife class dynamics that tint every aspect of her relationship with Bhima. This absurdity is reinforced by Bhima’s unceremonious firing when the truth comes out. The “space” between the women caused by the Social Fabric of India of Class, Caste, Gender, and Religion is too much to be bridged by their shared experiences of Misogyny and Abuse in Relationships.
As Bhima watches the waves and remembers the Afghan balloon seller, Bhima finally sees the futility of the kind of loyalty she feels to Sera. Unexpectedly, she experiences a sense of freedom at not being physically or emotionally tied to Sera’s family anymore. This is symbolized by the balloons she lets go over the water, which float away into the distance. Bhima is at a vastly different place than she was when the book began: She has no job or means to provide for her family, and despite Maya’s abortion, her granddaughter has not resumed work or her education again. Everything about Bhima’s future seems uncertain and worrisome. Despite this worrying reality, Bhima feels more hopeful and freer than she ever has. The book ends in a symbolic reversal, noting that “[It] is dark, but inside Bhima’s heart it is dawn” (321), while the beginning of the novel states that “Although it is dawn, inside Bhima’s heart it is dusk” (6). The reversal of both Bhima’s attitude and fortune suggests that, through the symbol of the balloon seller, she has learned to own her purpose and direction in life; the loss of the Dubash family frees her from harmful self-perceptions brought about by class differences.
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By Thrity Umrigar
