Nair shares Mr. Bihari’s tragic experience as an example of how one can work around the law regardless of reality. Nair suggests Bihari’s significance, when she recalls how her granduncles modified their father’s will in their favor, leaving only a fraction of the inheritance to the great-grandmother. To the ire of Nair’s mother and aunts, the author’s grandmother accepted the “will” and continued with life, constantly hosting gatherings with her siblings in her humble abode. Thus, the grandmother was able to keep peace and unity in the family.
As Nair’s mother and aunts started pondering on their mother’s last will and a cold wall began to grow; they argued and competed with each another. The once inseparable sisters now only spoke during holiday greetings. Unlike Nair’s grandmother who valued family more than wealth, Nair’s aunts were acting like their uncles whom they blamed for robbing their mother of her inheritance.

Nair obviously believes that envy in a family is undesirable; however, she has never lived in a Kerala and would not understand the hardships that locals suffer although her essay does shed light on the true meaning of happiness. Which is more satisfying, material possessions or relationships?
Early on, Nair regarded her grandmother as the victim of an egocentric patriarchy. Her grandmother was an altruistic and determined woman who let go of the past and focused on creating a complete family. The author’s mother and aunts enhanced to Nair’s image of her grandmother by criticizing their mother for tolerating her brothers. It was when the sisters started to accuse one another of scheming with their mother’s will that Nair understood her grandmother’s motive. It makes sense to enrich one’s life with pleasant recollections and relationships; at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how much possessions you have but what you made with what was