Chapter the-portrait-of-a-lady: The Portrait of a Lady | Long Questions

Religious faith was the core of the grandmother’s identity, influencing every aspect of her daily life. From morning till night, her lips moved in 'inexplicable' silent prayer, and she was constantly telling the beads of her rosary. In the village, she spent her time in the temple reading scriptures while the author was at school. Even when the author moved to the city and later went abroad, her devotion never wavered. She accepted her loneliness as a form of spiritual seclusion, spending hours at the spinning wheel while reciting prayers. Her religious conviction was so strong that even on her deathbed, she refused to waste time talking to her family. Instead, she chose to spend her final moments making peace with God through prayer. This unwavering faith provided her with a sense of peace and purpose, making her a symbol of spiritual serenity.

The grandmother’s death was as peaceful and dignified as her life. After falling ill following a day of celebration, she sensed her end was near and insisted on praying privately. She died with her lips moving in prayer and the rosary in her hand. The most poignant part of the narrative is the reaction of the sparrows she used to feed. Thousands of sparrows arrived and sat silently in the verandah where her body lay wrapped in a red shroud. There was no chirping, which was highly unusual. Even when the author’s mother offered them bread crumbs, the birds ignored the food entirely. It was as if they were participating in a collective ritual of mourning for their benefactor. Once the grandmother’s body was carried away for cremation, the birds flew away quietly. This highlights a deep, silent bond between nature and the elderly woman.

The grandmother's life in the village was active and socially integrated, whereas her city life was characterized by isolation and quiet routine. In the village, she was the central figure in the author's life, managing his schedule and interacting with the community by feeding village dogs. She felt useful and connected because the school was attached to a temple. In contrast, the city life marginalized her. She became a spectator in a world she didn't understand, filled with English education and motor buses. She could no longer feed dogs, so she adapted by feeding sparrows in the courtyard. Her city life was spent mostly in the 'seclusion' of her room, spinning and praying. Despite the physical move to a modern environment, she remained mentally anchored in her traditional ways, refusing to change her core beliefs or habits to fit the new city lifestyle.