Unaccustomed Earth 2

Lahiri finished Ruma's story, or so I think. She ended with flashbacks of Ruma's life, when her mother was alive and when Ruma was in highschool. There was a man, Pranab Kaku, who was also another Bengali which was rare in America, so they stuck together. Ruma believed her mother was in love with him because he made her happier than her father ever had. Lahiri described the love symptoms well, when Ruma's mother found out that Pranab Kaku was going to marry another woman, Ruma says, "The following day I say the teacup Pranab Kaku had used all this time as an ashtray in the kitchen garbage can, in pieces, and three Band-Aids taped to my mother's hand" (71). In the end, Pranab later divorces the American woman for yet another, just as Ruma's mother had predicted. Lahiri ends the story there, leaving you wanting more, and wondering if she will carry it on later in the book. Next, another story of a young married couple Megan and Amit. They are on a vacation for one of Amit's friends in college wedding. Pam, who is Amit later reveals that he was in love with for some period of time during college. They did kiss each other once in college, but then Pam shyed away from him, and that was the end of their physical relationship. They remained good friends, but ONLY friends, and went their seperate ways after college. At the wedding, Amit commented, "To this day she was the most beautiful woman he had ever known" (103). This supports the theme that not everyone gets what they want, just like in Much Ado About Nothing, how Don John tries so hard to screw everything up, but in the end he still does not get everything he wants. I can't wait to read on and hear other stories throughout the book.