Boori Ma is a feeble 64-year-old woman from Calcutta who is the stair-sweeper of an old apartmentbuilding. In exchange for her services, the residents allow Boori Ma to live on the roof of the building. Boori Ma rants on about the stories of her past. The residents of the brick building hear continuous contradictions in Boori’s storytelling, but her stories are seductive and compelling, so they let her contradictions rest. One family, the Dalal’s, often gives Boori Ma food and takes care of Boori Ma in her old age. After Mr. Dalal gets promoted at work, he improves the brick building by installing a sink in the stairwell and a sink in his home. The Dalal’s continue to upgrade their home and even go away on a trip to Simla for ten days and promise to bring back Boori Ma a sheep’s hair blanket.
While the Dalal’s are away, the other residents become obsessed with making their own improvement to the building. Boori Ma even spends her life savings on special treats while circling around the neighborhood. However, while Boori Ma is out one afternoon, the sink in the stairwell is stolen. The residents accuse Boori Ma of informing the robbers and in negligence for her job. When Boori Ma speaks up, the residents continue to accuse her because of all her previous faulty stories and tales. The residents' obsession with materializing the building dimmed their focus on the remaining members of their community, like Boori Ma. The short story concludes as the residents throw out Boori Ma’s belongings and begin a search for a “real durwan.” The tenants of the home openly discriminate against after they begin to think that she help steal the sink. Because of her lower class status, they treat her very poorly.
This is not a character analysis, it's a summary. Remember to stick to the topic.
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