The grandmother would sit in the verandah breaking the bread into little bits for the sparrows. Hundreds of sparrows would gather around her. They would perch on her legs, shoulders and even on the head. Feeding the sparrows was the happiest half-hour of the day for her.

The grandmother actually hated music. She was a conservative old lady who had her own beliefs and superstitions. She thought that music was meant only for prostitutes and beggars. It was not meant for gentlefolk. Music was not meant for school children from respectable families.

The grandmother appeared to be quite normal. She knew that her grandson would be away for five years. She looked composed and didn’t show any emotion. She came to see him off at the station. She kissed him lightly on his forehead before departing.

In the village they had a very intimate relationship. But a turning point came when they were sent for in the city. The narrator went up to University. Now he was given a room of his own. It made all the difference. The common link of their friendship was broken. They saw very less of each other now.

The grandmother kissed the forehead of the narrator before he left for abroad. The narrator considered it the last sign of physical contact. He might not see her again. He never expected his old grandmother to live for five more years. She was still a terribly old lady.