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Shoba’s character is largely filtered through the lens of her husband because the third-person narrator is closest to Shukumar. Shoba is consumed by grief over the child she recently lost. She has been changed by sorrow to a large degree, and Shukumar feels the change may be permanent in his wife. In Shukumar’s memory, Shoba was outgoing, powerful, and prepared for everything. She cooked for everyone. She planned complicated parties and haggled at the market for fresh foods. She cared a lot about her appearance. Now, Shoba is uninterested in cooking, looking nice, or keeping up the house. Instead, she dives into her work or watches game shows in the living room while Shukumar works in the study. All these changed behaviors show how much the ripple effect of grief has not only altered the way she lives her life, but also her relationship with her husband. 

Because Shukumar appears to be so solely focused on the differences in Shoba, he has neglected to see how he himself has changed. Namely, he has become an emotionally passive partner. Shoba guises the idea of sharing secrets as something to do for fun when she is actually trying to tell Shukumar that she wants to leave him. This set-up shows how Shoba is still the more active partner in the marriage despite her grief. When Shoba says she’s leaving him, Shukumar can tell she has practiced her words, suggesting that she is still the same woman who always seemed so prepared for anything.

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