Punishment
- When she hears the grinding of spices in a pestle, Lakshmi understands it can sometimes mean spicy food and sometimes mean a punishment for a girl who has disobeyed Mumtaz.
- The cook, who is grinding the spices, says that one of the girls has crossed Mumtaz.
- Lakshmi, afraid that Mumtaz found out about her, begins to tremble and sweat, though she doesn't show this to Mumtaz when Mumtaz enters the room.
- Mumtaz takes a stick, rolls it in chili powder, and Lakshmi falls to the floor, crying, to kiss her feet. But Mumtaz just kicks her and leaves the room.
- Anita tells Lakshmi that the new girl is the one in trouble because she accepted a gift from a customer.
- Still afraid and on the floor, Lakshmi closes her eyes, and when she opens them, Mumtaz's foot is right by her face.
- Even though Mumtaz thinks Lakshmi acted guilty, even though she steps on Lakshmi's head so hard that Lakshmi almost passes out, Lakshmi utters no cry or word.
- Finally Mumtaz drags Lakshmi to her feet and asks if she's done something wrong—Lakshmi looks her in the eye and says she hasn't.
- After Mumtaz leaves, Lakshmi realizes that her earring has torn through her earlobe and thinks that she would do anything to leave Happiness House.