The Space Between Us

Bhima and Maya walk by the seaside again. Bhima reminisces about coming here with Gopal, years earlier. She remembers how the Afghan balloon seller once told them about how his beautiful homeland, broken down and ravaged by fighting. He was fond of a saying in his language that even the gods become jealous and destroy something when it is too beautiful. Bhima wonders if this happened between her and Gopal. Maya asks what happened to the balloon seller, but Bhima doesn’t know, as they stopped coming to the seaside after Gopal’s accident. Maya points out that there was nothing wrong with Gopal’s legs, but Bhima remembers how everything changed after. She tells Maya Gopal’s story, to demonstrate “how this world treats those without an education” (202).

Bhima was home sick with the flu, when a foreman at Gopal’s workplace arrived at their house. He informed Bhima that Gopal had an accident. He took Bhima to the hospital to see Gopal. Gopal’s right hand had been injured, and so the supervisor asked Bhima to sign a piece of paper in his stead. The document would allow the company to provide Gopal with medical care. When Bhima revealed she couldn’t read, the man pressured her into placing her thumb impression on the paper.

At the hospital, Bhima learned that Gopal was in the Operating Theater; he lost three of his fingers. The foreman blamed the accident on Gopal’s carelessness while operating heavy machinery before leaving Bhima at the hospital. The next day, when Bhima returned with Amit, she found that Gopal had contracted an infection from his surgery.

Bhima called Sera, who explained what an infection was and how Gopal would need specific medicines to help clear it up. Sera and Feroz arrived at the hospital to help Bhima. Feroz was furious to learn that Gopal was not yet being given antibiotics. He threatened to have the doctor fired unless he gave Gopal antibiotics.

Bhima tried to take Feroz’s hand in gratitude, but he flinched away. She was amazed by the power education held and how easily the doctor succumbed to Feroz’s demands. Later, she realized that the doctor was also educated. She hypothesized that Feroz’s sway over the doctor came from his status as a Parsi.

Gopal returned home after 10 days; his fever cleared up, but he was still in great pain. The foreman had still not returned; Bhima had not discussed his first visit with Gopal. The supervisor, Devdas, coincidentally arrived the evening after Gopal’s return. He revealed that he was not the supervisor, but the accountant for the company. Gopal promised to return to work in a few weeks once he healed, but Devdas explained the contract he tricked Bhima into signing: The contract stated that Gopal would be given a final payment of 1,000 rupees, following which Gopal would have no more claims with the company.

Gopal is furious and aghast. Gopal had complained about the faulty machine to his boss three days before the accident. The company chose not to pause work for even a day to fix the machine, as it was cheaper to pay off an injured worker. After Devdas left, Gopal fell into a stunned silence. Bhima tried to apologize for her mistake. Gopal pointed out that the world runs off of people like them, expendable to those with money and education. Bhima promised to find new work for Gopal and nurse him back to health. The next day, Bhima approached Sera. After consulting with Feroz, Sera explained that nothing further could be done about the contract Devdas made Bhima sign.

Bhima and Gopal’s intimacy was negatively affected after the accident. Their previous compatibility disappeared; eventually, Gopal stopped making love to her altogether. He began drinking to deal with the pain, and his addiction lead him to being quickly let go from a new job found by Feroz. Gopal began taking money from Amit and stealing from Bhima to finance his drinking. The family struggled to make ends meet. With the threat of eviction looming, Bhima accepted an offer from a neighbor for a cheaper place in a nearby slum.

Content Warning: This chapter details child neglect and domestic abuse.

Two years into living in the slum, Amit stayed home from school, feeling unwell. Bhima left Gopal with money for medicines. When she returned from work, she found a feverish Amit lying on the ground and Gopal missing. She went to the bootlegger’s den and beat Gopal with a broom, swearing at him for leaving their sick child at home. When people around them began laughing, Gopal retaliated and hit Bhima. She walked home behind him, hiding her bleeding face in humiliation.

Bhima returns home from work one day to find Maya reading a letter, which she came across while looking for something else. Bhima asks Maya to read the letter aloud, as she has only heard it once before. It is the letter Gopal left her when he disappeared. In the letter, Gopal seeks Bhima’s forgiveness for being a burden on her, his drinking robbing Bhima of all her joy. He asserts that her actions have emasculated him, and he cannot remain in the slum anymore. He is taking Amit with him, who will serve as his “crutch.” They are heading back to Gopal’s village for a fresh start, with Gopal having stolen enough money for the train tickets. He is leaving Pooja behind to help Bhima and asserts that despite everything he still loves her.

As Maya tearfully finishes reading the letter, Bhima recalls having a neighbor read the letter aloud to her when she first found it. Sera had explained to her there was nothing Bhima could legally do to bring Amit back, and she waited for word from them for weeks. Bhima tells Maya that Amit has never written to her; Gopal’s older brother used to write once in a while but stopped after Bhima informed them of Pooja’s death through a letter that Sera wrote for her. Gopal’s brother accused her of keeping Gopal away from Pooja. Bhima is sure Gopal would have come to Delhi if he knew Pooja was ill, as he loved her deeply. He only left her behind because he knew Bhima needed Pooja more than she needed Amit Bhima grows tired of rehashing the past and takes Maya to the seaside again.