Homeless Bird

Maa Kamala arranges a job for Koly: She’ll work with one of the other widows, Tanu, making marigold garlands in the market. These garlands are used in weddings and funerals. Koly shows skill at the work and quickly becomes efficient. Her employer, Mr. Govind, is even more impressed when Koly suggests an excellent resolution after the wrong kinds of flowers are delivered. Koly and Tanu become friends as they work together. A bracelet seller in the market notices their garlands and asks whether they’re interested in bead work. He gives them materials to make bangles at home in the evenings and says if they do a good job, he’ll let them each keep one.

Koly saves half of her wages from the garland shop and gives the other half to the widow’s house to pay her expenses. In addition, she’s able to start receiving her pension from the government now that she has a mailing address. She and Tanu plan to get their own place together someday, using their savings. When she isn’t making bangles in the evenings, Koly reads Tagore’s poems to the other widows at Maa Kamala’s house. Raji comes to visit and hears the poetry but admits that he hasn’t learned to read.