The extract began with the ladies assembling to sew together.

Their meeting place was the bungalow. Mrs Rahman supplied

them with old saris from her friends. Mrs Akram was innovative
and had told them putting sackcloths between the saris to make
them sturdier. They observed the effect the war had on their
livelihood and the way they coped with it.
Maya and Rehana were still at opposite ends of the spectrum.
Rehana tried to apologize but Mayas actions made it
impossible. As time passed, Rehana struggled to find activities
to occupy her. The only time she and Maya was together was
when they were listening to the radio. The various stations gave
different updates. But they specifically waited on a broadcast
from an undisclosed location in the liberated zone.
In the middle of the night, Sohail came to visit. After a brief hug
she went to the kitchen to cook for him, while he woke his
sister. She noticed a change in his appearance that she reasoned
to be not so loving hands shaping him.
He then told his mother and sister about their departure. They
had journeyed in a ferry and heard terrifying stories about
Hindus.