Chapter Summaries

Aditya, Madan, and Dipti traveled from Lucknow to Kanpur and prepared to inspect machinery for the factory. At Jaya Textile Mill, Aditya examined all twenty-eight British-made machines and found them in good condition.

• Aditya, Madan, and Dipti collected the green jeep, drove to Kanpur, and checked into Kanpur Lodge.
• Madan warned Aditya that people would criticize him for letting Dipti, a Vaishya woman, ride in his car, but Aditya defended hiring her as an accountant.
• The next morning, Aditya and Madan met Neelam Sharma, who took them to Jaya Textile Mill to meet its owner, Prakash.
• Prakash explained that financial troubles had forced him to sell all twenty-eight John Bullock machines together.
• Aditya inspected the machines and the workshop facilities, finding the machines in working order and the water and electricity arrangements intact.

Aditya decided to buy Prakash’s entire Jaya Textile Mill in Kanpur instead of dismantling its machines and moving them to Varanasi. After agreeing on a one-million price and arranging a new three-year government lease, he returned to the factory with Dipti and Madan.

• After seeing the machinery run, Aditya offered to buy the whole factory, and Prakash accepted one million after the debts were deducted.
• Aditya asked Dipti to check the factory accounts and told Prakash to invite the workers back to the gates the day after tomorrow.
• At the Kanpur Industrial Property Office, Aditya negotiated a new lease with Narayan, who agreed to a six-month renovation period at three thousand a month and helped arrange electricity.
• Aditya signed the lease papers, while Dipti pointed out that Prakash’s old debts were not included in the agreement.
• Aditya explained that the lease kept the old debts separate, then drove Dipti and Madan back to Jaya Factory.

Aditya completed the handover of Jaya Textile Mill and arranged for Madan to return to Varanasi to oversee construction and recruit family workers. The next morning, Aditya and Dipti went to register Diya Textile Factory and cancel Jaya's registration as they prepared to restart the mill.

• Prakash handed Aditya the factory keys, old account books, and tool inventory, and Aditya promised to pay him after production resumed.
• Aditya sent Madan back to Varanasi to arrange construction of a factory building and have Raju bring capable family members to Kanpur.
• Dipti reviewed Prakash's old accounts and unpaid wages while Aditya asked her to manage the factory books and accompany him to find suppliers.
• Aditya considered the benefits and costs of taking over Jaya and resolved to keep the mill running once its looms started.
• Aditya and Dipti went to the business registration office, where Aditya asked to register Diya Textile Factory and cancel Jaya Textile Mill's registration.

Aditya completed the registration for Diya Textile Factory and secured a yarn supply deal with Agarwal. With workers arriving and the factory being cleaned and stocked, he prepared to begin production in two days.

• Aditya and Dipti obtained a new license for Diya Textile Factory and arranged for the tax registration to be stamped.
• Aditya negotiated with Agarwal to buy yarn with immediate payment at a three percent discount, and Agarwal agreed to deliver a trial batch.
• Aditya told Dipti he would prioritize Agarwal as a supplier but would look elsewhere if Agarwal could not meet demand.
• Raju arrived with eight workers from Varanasi, and Aditya assigned them to clean the factory, prepare the dormitory and kitchen, and unload the yarn.
• Agarwal delivered the yarn, and Aditya confirmed that production would start the day after tomorrow.
• Aditya and Dipti returned to the hotel, where Aditya reflected on taking charge of the factory and his growing comfort with his privileges.

Aditya explained Diya Textile Factory’s generous wages, attendance rules, promotions, and plans for strict accounting to Dipti, then offered her responsibility for finance and personnel. As workers gathered outside, he prepared to address them with Dipti and Raju.

• Aditya outlined Diya’s wages, attendance bonus, leave policy, and promotion system to Dipti.
• Aditya explained that generous pay and clear rules would improve efficiency and help Diya outcompete other factories.
• Aditya assigned Dipti responsibility for the factory’s accounts, payroll, attendance, materials, and personnel, offering her a monthly salary and a share of profits.
• Aditya promised Dipti that she would become Diya’s finance director as the factory expanded across Kanpur.
• Aditya told Dipti to prepare to meet the workers, who were waiting outside the factory gates.

Aditya opened Diya Textile Factory, recruited and organized its workers, and resolved the problems that kept production from running smoothly. After the factory began operating steadily and Madan found a potential buyer in Lucknow, Aditya prepared to return to Varanasi to visit the ill Solomon.

• Aditya announced the factory’s hiring terms, and Raju, Abid, Ram, and Dipti selected and registered experienced workers and laborers.
• Aditya appointed Abid night-shift foreman, Ram day-shift foreman, Raju general supervisor, and Dipti in charge of wages and daily management.
• The new workers struggled during the first days, while Aditya and Raju resolved factory and government issues until production settled into a steady routine.
• Madan returned from Lucknow with a prospective buyer who wanted to assess Diya’s output and cloth quality before committing to an order.
• By September fifteenth, all twenty-eight machines were running smoothly, and Aditya decided to return to Varanasi to visit the ill Solomon, to whom he owed five hundred thousand rupees.

Aditya returned to Varanasi from Kanpur, reunited with his family, and spent the night with Dipali after promising she could come with him in the future. At daybreak, he woke with Dipali still in his arms.

• Aditya drove back from Kanpur with fabric from Diya’s factory and joined his mother, Sushila, and grandfather, Patil, for evening worship.
• Aditya told Patil about the Diya Textile Factory before Sushila and Dipali brought him dinner.
• Dipali came to Aditya’s room at night with cool tea and asked whether he would stop wanting her or leave her behind.
• Aditya promised Dipali she could come with him in the future, and she massaged his temples as they talked.
• The old fan stopped working in the heat, and Aditya and Dipali spent the night together.
• At daybreak, Aditya woke beside Dipali and recalled the night without regret.

Aditya visited the dying Solomon, who revealed that his estranged daughter Mary was in Israel and asked Aditya to bring her back. Aditya agreed and prepared to leave, carrying Solomon’s money and family keepsakes.

• Aditya visited Solomon, who told him how war had separated him from his wife and daughter and how his wife had recently died and Mary had disappeared from contact.
• Solomon asked Aditya to find Mary in Israel and bring her back, offering him his Mumbai company; Aditya agreed without accepting the company.
• Aditya returned to the Mishra Family home and told his grandfather Patil that he would travel to Mumbai and then Israel.
• Aditya opened Solomon’s leather bag and found fifty thousand US dollars, photographs of Sara and Mary, and the family’s old jewelry and keepsakes.

Aditya found Solomon’s letter asking him to bring Mary back and promising him the Mumbai company, then reviewed Diya Textile Factory’s near break-even accounts. He left the factory running and headed by train to Mumbai, with Israel and Solomon’s request ahead.

• Aditya read Solomon’s letter, which gave him money and Rafiq’s contact details and asked him to bring Mary back in exchange for the Mumbai company.
• Aditya returned to the Diya factory and heard Dipti’s report that production generated only about a thousand rupees in daily profit before additional expenses.
• Aditya told Madan and Dipti to keep the factory operating, maintain accurate accounts and full wages, and prioritize cash flow over inventory.
• Aditya left the jeep with Madan and boarded a train bound for Mumbai, keeping a hand on the leather bag as he slept.

Aditya traveled to Mumbai and met Rafiq, whom Solomon Cohen had recommended, to arrange a trip to Israel. After Rafiq organized his visa, flights, and ways to move his money, Aditya prepared to leave for Dubai and then Tel Aviv.

• Aditya arrived at Mumbai Victoria Terminus carrying fifty thousand US dollars and took a rickshaw to Rafiq's address.
• Aditya told Rafiq that Solomon Cohen had sent him and asked for help arranging a visa, flights, and currency exchange to reach Israel.
• Rafiq agreed to arrange Aditya's travel documents and split his money among traveler's checks, an account, and a contact in Dubai for a fee of eight thousand rupees.
• Aditya returned two days later and received his passport, visa, plane tickets, traveler's checks, and some US dollars.
• Aditya checked his luggage and documents at the inn and went to sleep before his flight to Dubai.

On his way to Israel via Dubai, Aditya helped two Chinese travelers at Mumbai airport by explaining their connecting-flight transfers, then met Anjali in the boarding line. They compared their backgrounds and discovered they were on the same flight, leaving open the possibility of continuing their conversation aboard.

• Aditya left the check-in line to guide a Chinese traveler to the transfer counter and explain how to confirm his connection to Dubai.
• Aditya helped Wang Changgui confirm his Dubai transfer, and Wang gave him a business card and invited him to visit China.
• Anjali approached Aditya and asked about his Chinese, then introduced herself as a UCLA computer science student from Kerala.
• Aditya told Anjali he had left university and now ran a textile factory in Kanpur after paying off his family's debts.
• Aditya told Anjali he was flying to Israel for personal business, and they learned they were boarding the same flight to Dubai.

Aditya and Anjali shared a flight to India, where their conversation about his textile mill revealed his plans to support workers and eventually pursue the internet industry. Anjali became increasingly curious about Aditya’s rejection of the caste system and his desire to build India.

• Aditya and Anjali joked while waiting to board, then discovered they had seats beside each other on the plane.
• Anjali asked why Aditya had opened a textile mill, and he explained that he had started Diya in Kanpur to repay family debts and support more than a hundred workers.
• Aditya described his plans to upgrade and expand Diya, while Anjali argued that the internet industry offered better prospects.
• Aditya said manufacturing could provide livelihoods for people at the bottom and outlined his goal of growing Diya before working with people like Anjali on the internet.
• Anjali questioned why a Brahmin like Aditya cared about Dalits, and Aditya said he rejected the caste system and loved his country more than his caste.

Aditya and Anjali shared a playful conversation during their flight to Dubai, where she gave him her contact details and learned he was traveling to Israel to bring an old man's daughter back to India. They parted at the airport, with Anjali heading to immigration and Aditya continuing toward his connecting flight to Tel Aviv.

• Anjali wrote down her dorm phone number and Kerala home address for Aditya, and he put the note in his pocket.
• Anjali asked Aditya how he learned Chinese, and he spoke a few phrases for her.
• Anjali fell asleep, then woke and asked why Aditya was traveling to Israel; he explained he was going to find an old man's daughter and bring her back to India.
• Aditya and Anjali chatted as their plane approached Dubai, and Anjali said she would visit his factory after graduating.
• After landing, Anjali and Aditya said goodbye at the airport, and Aditya went toward the transfer gate while Anjali headed to immigration.

Aditya waited overnight at Dubai Airport for money arranged through hawala, then received cash and documents to support his entry into Israel. After a tense night, he boarded his flight to Tel Aviv and fell asleep as it took off.

• Aditya followed Rafiq’s instructions and sat by Gate D8, where a man delivered a newspaper containing an envelope.
• Aditya opened the envelope in a restroom and found 4,600 shekels, 200 US dollars, Yair Ben-Zeev’s business card, and instructions for entering Israel.
• Aditya spent a restless night at the airport, then bought a sandwich and water near dawn.
• Aditya boarded his flight to Tel Aviv and fell asleep after the plane took off.

Aditya arrived in Tel Aviv and passed immigration and a secondary inspection before traveling to the address Solomon had given him. He found Mary, Solomon Cohen’s daughter, and she invited him inside.

• Aditya landed in Tel Aviv and answered the immigration officer’s questions about his visit, his friend Yair Ben-Zeev, and his background.
• A female officer searched Aditya’s luggage during a secondary inspection and then let him leave the airport.
• Aditya took a taxi to Mary’s address on Haifa Road and waited outside after the housekeeper did not let him in.
• Mary came to the door, and Aditya introduced himself as a friend of her father, Solomon Cohen.
• Mary invited Aditya inside.

Aditya visited Mary in Tel Aviv to tell her that her dying father, Solomon, wanted to see her in India, and he delivered Solomon’s letter and keepsakes. Mary had not decided whether to go, but she took Aditya to her mother’s burial place to pay his respects.

• Aditya told Mary that Solomon was gravely ill and wanted to see her one last time, then gave her his letter, bracelet, and pendant.
• Mary asked Aditya to stay at her house and said she would decide the next day whether to return to India.
• Mary questioned Aditya about eating chicken despite being Hindu, and he explained that customs varied among Indian families and regions.
• Aditya asked where Mary’s mother was buried, and Mary agreed to take him there.
• Mary changed, covered her face with a blue gauze scarf, and led Aditya on foot to her mother’s burial place.

Aditya accompanied Mary to her mother Sara’s grave, where Mary decided to go to India and see her father, Solomon. The next morning, Aditya used his name and an expediting fee to get Mary’s visa application fast-tracked, and they entered the consulate to discuss it.

• Aditya told Sara’s gravestone that Solomon could not leave India, and Mary admitted her mother had asked her not to hate him.
• Mary decided to return to India with Aditya to see Solomon, and Aisi encouraged her while preparing to leave for the countryside.
• Aditya reminded Mary to prepare her passport and photos for a visa application, and she agreed to go with him the next morning.
• Aditya approached a consulate employee with an envelope, and the employee invited him and Mary inside to discuss the visa.

Aditya helped Mary obtain an expedited Indian visa so she could visit her seriously ill father in Varanasi, then arranged their journey from Tel Aviv to India. The chapter ended with Mary and Aditya leaving Aisi behind as they began their trip.

• Aditya bribed a consulate official to expedite Mary's visa application, and the official told them to collect it the day after tomorrow.
• Mary took Aditya shopping for local gifts, and they joked together after a shoeshine boy mistook them for a married couple.
• Aditya and Mary agreed to travel from Tel Aviv through Dubai to Mumbai, then take a train to Varanasi to visit Mary's father.
• Aditya collected Mary's visa and booked their flights, then packed for the trip.
• Aditya and Mary left for the airport after breakfast, and Mary hugged Aisi goodbye while Aisi asked Aditya to look after her.

Aditya brought Mary from Israel to India, where she struggled with the heat, crowds, smells, and chaos while traveling with him toward Varanasi. They boarded an overnight train, and Mary quietly muttered in Hebrew as she tried to endure the journey.

• Aditya and Mary flew from Tel Aviv to Mumbai, where Mary was overwhelmed by the heat and the crowd's stares.
• Aditya held Mary's hand to guide and protect her through the airport, and Mary covered herself with a jacket, sunglasses, and scarf.
• Mary dry-heaved outside the airport, then rode with Aditya in a taxi and regretted coming to India.
• Aditya and Mary pushed through Victoria Railway Station, bought sleeper tickets, and boarded a delayed train to Varanasi.
• Aditya helped Mary through the surging crowd onto the train, where she took the upper berth and struggled with the conditions.
• Mary quietly murmured in Hebrew while Aditya lay on the lower berth and listened.

Aditya brought Mary to Varanasi to reunite with her dying father, Solomon, who asked her to stay with him. Solomon offered Aditya half of his Mumbai company, but Aditya refused for now and returned to Kanpur to focus on Diya and the Diya Textile Factory.

• Aditya and Mary reached Varanasi and made their way through the alleys to Solomon’s home.
• Mary confronted Solomon about staying away after her mother died, and Solomon admitted he had been unable to return and had failed both Mary and her mother.
• Solomon asked Mary to stay because he had little time left, and he showed her the scarf her mother had kept from her childhood.
• Solomon offered to divide his Mumbai company between Mary and Aditya, but Aditya declined until he had dealt with Diya’s needs.
• Aditya left Varanasi for Kanpur, where he planned to expand the Diya Textile Factory.