1923 – II

 The picnic with the Nawab (p. 29- 49)

 Olivia visits the graveyard of Satipur where she catches sight of a special grave. It is the grave of the Saunders baby which has a powerful effect on her. She gets afraid of being pregnant and losing her baby afterwards; she also thinks about her and her husband’s life in India and reasons that they’ll die if they stay. Thereupon Douglas tries to comfort her, thinking that it’s only a bad phase which Olivia has to overcome.

The next day Olivia visits Mrs. Saunders who is still in and bed-ridden. Because the servants are very untidy, Mrs. Saunders is annoyed by them and treats them very bad. But that’s not the only thing she has to complain about: she hates the whole situation in India as well and wants to leave India and return to England. When Mrs. Saunders begins to cry, Olivia feels pity for the unhappy lady and begind to cry, too.

Afterwards, Mrs. Crawford invites Olivia to visit the Begum, the Nawab’s mother in the palace. However, Olivia feels left out the conversation, because she can’t speak Urdu. Later on the two women visit Mrs. Minnies and have a conversation about the Nawab and his wife Sandy, who is mentally ill. The two good freinds Beth Crawford and Mrs. Minnies try to persuade Olivia to spend the hot season on Simla, but Olivia doesn’t want to leave her husband and also doesn’t want the two Englishwomen’s company because of feeling left out.

One day Olivia is visited by Harry, who tells her a lot about his life with the Nawab. He describes him as a man with a strong character and as a commanding person, though as a generous person as well (wants that his friends get everything they want).

After Douglas has had some Indian guests at his house, he and Olivia have a conversation about them. He considers them to be childish and does not trust them. They talk about Simla whereupon Douglas clarifies that he wants his wife to go there, but she just doesn’t want to leave him for such a long time.

Another day, the Nawab turns up unexpected and invites Olivia to join him at a picnic. Together with Harry and some servants they drive through an empty landscape. While driving the Nawab doesn’t speak a word to Olivia which makes her feel uneasy. Until they stop, she wonders if he’s bored or in a bad mood. They have to walk the last part up to the place where they are going to have the picnic. At last, the Nawab becomes obliging and talkactive again. In the shady grove around a small shrine the Nawab shows Olivia a small spring and the shrine which was built by an ancestor of him. He also tells her about his feelings: he feels something special between them. Moreover, they spend their rest of time with eating and playing a game.