Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard: Chapter 3 Summary & Analysis

Mr. Chawla loudly begins his morning routine of yoga stretches, getting cleaned up in the bathroom, and having Ammaji and Pinky sort out his laundry. He seems to go out of his way to make plenty of noise as he completes these tasks, as if wanting to announce to the world that he’s living responsibly and properly. As the other members of the family rush about him, he reads bits from the newspaper and happily complains about the country’s newest corrupt politicians, insisting he saw this coming. Kulfi remains uninterested in this talk as she continues fantasizing about elaborate dishes she could make.

Pinky is also bored with Mr. Chawla’s reading of the newspaper, asking him if there’s anything in the news about the “Cinema Monkey.” When Mr. Chawla admits ignorance on this topic, Pinky explains that a troublemaking monkey has been harassing women outside the local cinema lately, pulling and ripping their clothes until they drop their snacks. Mr. Chawla snorts derisively at this, while Ammaji suggests that Pinky could take Sampath with her to the cinema to protect her. Pinky insists that Sampath would be no help, and Ammaji admits that he’s probably not threatening enough to scare a monkey away. They all turn their gaze to Sampath, who’s slouched tiredly at the table, morosely watching a fly in front of him.

Annoyed by his son’s passive attitude, Mr. Chawla swats the fly with a newspaper and berates Sampath, asking him where his common sense has gone. When asked, Sampath mutters that his work is going “all right,” but this isn’t enough for Mr. Chawla, who points out that if things were going well, Sampath would have received a raise in pay by now. Sampath had failed so many of his classes that it was difficult for him to find a job for the longest time. When asked about the job Sampath finally found, Mr. Chawla always explains that Sampath is in “government service.” This vague description paints a picture of a comfortable and well-paid position, but in reality, Sampath has a lowly position at the back desk of the Shahkot post office.

Still irritated with Sampath, Mr. Chawla continues his tirade about the value of work and all the things Sampath should be doing to further his career. Ammaji continually interrupts his speech with questions about what Sampath would like for breakfast, which annoys Mr. Chawla even further. He insists that she’s interrupting important matters, but Ammaji reminds him that getting a good meal is just as important for Sampath as anything else. Their argument continues; Mr. Chawla complains that Sampath has only been moving down society’s ladder since the day he was born, and will soon reach the very bottom. But Ammaji cheekily points out that the world is round, and that Sampath is simply taking the longer route down, so that he might pop up on top of the other side of the world. Nonetheless, Mr. Chawla continues his rant, which Sampath endures in silence, imagining the pleasant sleep he couldn’t find last night. Kulfi watches all this and feels sorry for her son.