Q&A (pgs54-102)

Summary
Ram starts telling his lawyer Smita about how he knew the third question for 5,000 rupees. Ram and Salim were living in a place called chawl, where they worked at the foundry. New neighbor Mr. Shantaram and his family move in, Shantaram was a scientist, an astronomer since the walls were thin in the chawl, Ram would listen to Shantaram talk about outer space, and when his daughter found a small cat, her father decided to name it Pluto since it was so small. Ram found out that Shantaram was an alcoholic, his drinking got so bad that he threw hot tea at his daughter face scaring her. Gudiya her name, Ram would visit her at the hospital, she would tell him that her father's drinking is what caused him to lose his job, that her father was a great scientist who discovered new stars, but now is going from job to job. Gudiya saw Ram as the brother she never had, when she got back home her father started to rape her. Ram made Gudiya a promise that he would always protect her, when he found out he killed Mr. Shantaram, and quickly got arrested and was sentenced death. Ram ends up running away from everyone even Salim, the third question asked what is the smallest planet, Ram answered correctly Pluto. Ram was put in a Juvenile Home for Boys in Turkman Gate, he became good friends with the boys that were there, people were impressed with his good English. This is where he met Salim Ilyasi, he was the better half of Ram. Salim became a orphan because his family was killed in mob attack since they were Muslims, when Ram found that out he told Salim that his name was Mohammad. They became very good friends because they had a lot of stuff in common, Gupta one of guards tired to rape Salim, but Ram saved him but screaming for help. Salim wants to become famous, they meet a man named Maman who takes children to have them make for him. After living in paradise Ram finds out that Maman is going to blind them so Salim and him run away, Ram ends up working as a servant for Neelima Kumari, and Salim works in the chawl. The forth question for 10,000 rupees, had to do with Maman favorite blind poet, and the god he loved which was Krishna.

Quotation
Ram and Salim really reach the place they would being staying, "One by one the children start trickling in and instantly challenge our definition of hell. I see boys with no eyes...boys with bent and misshapen limbs, dragging themselves to the table...boys with grotesque mouths and twisted fingers" (Swarup 89).

Reaction
When reading this it really did seem that the Ram and Salim were in a safe place, but when I came across these lines I knew that this man Maman was no good at all that all he cared about was the amount money he was getting. It is wrong if a child does not bring 100 rupees by the end of the day, they do not get to eat. I was scared for Ram and Salim because I did not want them to end up like the boys they saw when they first arrived there. It is really sad that a grown man like him could be so heartless and do that to children. The children do not run away because that is the only place that is there home. Salim just wanting to be a good singer for Maman did not believe Ram when he said that Maman would blind them, it goes to show that since Salim is younger than Ram he thinks everyone is a good person, but I was so relieved that Ram convinced Salim to run away. It was sad that Ram had to experience what people like Maman do to children who have no families, but this experience led Ram to know the answer to the forth question. Instead of these people giving money to this poor children, I believe they should found out where these children are coming from to stop this man, but then again people do not mess with gang leader.