The protagonist, Old Bapu, is walking towards the Gurgaon bazar and feels that his end is near. As he walks, memories and images from his past life flash before his eyes, veiled by the haze of memory. Old Bapu’s feet are burning from the hot road, and sweat pours down his face.
He experiences a bluish shimmer in his vision and feels his body evaporating, while his soul becomes light. Despite feeling near exhaustion and death, Old Bapu prays to Ishwar and does not want to die. Memories of his childhood, his mother, and his betrayal of her come to his mind.
Old Bapu recalls the cruelty and abuse he faced from his uncle and the loss of his land. He longs for work and worries about not finding any today. As he nears Gurgaon, a man on a bicycle brushes past him, reminding him to be careful in town to avoid death.
The city described is filled with shops, houses, and roads, with waves of people moving along the streets. Old Bapu is attracted to the broken asphalt and wants to work on road-making. He goes to the Model Town to ask for work from the Sikh contractor, Ram Singh, who intimidates him.
Ram Singh dismisses him, saying he is too old and weak to work, and gives him a nickel piece. Old Bapu feels frustrated and walks aimlessly, feeling sorry for himself. He stops at a pan-biri stall to drink water and sees his reflection in a mirror, realizing his old age. He continues walking, hoping to buy corn to sustain himself.
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