A Fine Balance

Dina waits eagerly for Om and Ishvar to return. After several weeks, she loses hope and lets the rental company take away their sewing machines. She also receives a letter from Maneck announcing that his grades weren’t good enough to allow him to enter the three-year program. He’ll have to be content with his one-year certificate in refrigeration and air conditioning. He’s received a job offer in Dubai and intends to take it. Although he won’t be coming back to rent his room, he promises to visit Dina next year.

Beggarmaster comes to collect his fees, and Dina tells him about the missing tailors. He tells her not to worry about what they owe him and that her apartment is still under his protection. The next day, Ibrahim comes by to say the landlord has fired him. He warns Dina that she’s going to be evicted. Nobody can protect her now because an angry guardian of two children blinded and maimed for Beggarmaster’s troupe has murdered Beggarmaster.

Ibrahim advises Dina to get a lawyer and file an injunction to prevent the eviction. She goes to the courthouse where the proofreader Vasantrao writes up her plea. He laments the corruption of the court system and the losses that life inflicts on all.