Book 1, Chapter 3 Summary

One Sunday morning Sudha approaches Pishi as Pishi is setting out mangoes to dry. Sudha begs to be told the true story of what happened to her father. Pishi first warns Sudha that the story contains a secret which only Pishi knows. Pishi is afraid by telling Sudha the true story she will ruin Sudha's childhood and make the girl hate her. Sudha realizes her aunt's careful warnings indicate how serious the story really is.

Gopal claimed to be the son of an uncle who left the Chatterjee's ancestral home after a fight with his father. When his father died, Gopal explains his father told him to go back to the Chatterjees. Although Gopal and his young wife didn't tell the family much about themselves, Pishi was able to piece together the events of their background. Apparently, Gopal first saw Nalini...