How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
When I was a small girl, he would sometimes let me stand beside him. I watched as the spoken words were written down to become like caged birds, caught forever by my clever baap. (1.2)
Watching her father work as a scribe, Koly imagines what the letters are saying and doing. Check out how she calls them "caged birds" here, which is very similar to how she refers to herself as a homeless bird later on.
Quote #2
The only time my sassur seemed to come alive was when he had a book in his hand. (4.50)
Mr. Mehta gets pretty down sometimes, but a book can always cheer him up. Koly stresses the importance of reading to us through her father-in-law, who uses poetry to escape the sad times of his own life. Words bring him comfort in a way no human can.
Quote #3
One of Hari's schoolbooks still lay on the trunk. No one touched the book, and day by day the dust grew on it. Though I could not read, I sometimes opened the book and looked at the words. They were words that Hari had known. (4.26)
Let's face it: Koly never gets to know Hari very well. This doesn't mean she doesn't treasure his book, though. Part of this is because he loved to read them, but she also is fascinated by what they contain—she wants their mysteries and tales can be unlocked to her.