When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine

When helping Lilia carve the pumpkin, Mr. Pirzada hears of the potential war between India and Pakistan. All attempts he has made to ignore the news that night are rendered futile, and the knife slips in his hand, leaving a large gash in the pumpkin. Efforts to fix the pumpkin result in it having a large O-shaped mouth instead of the teeth Lilia planned, and this initial slip signals the beginning of the end: The war is going to happen, Mr. Pirzada will soon depart forever, and Lilia will finally gain an understanding of true loss, as well as the difficulties of being both Indian and American. When she returns home from trick or treating, she realizes her pumpkin has been smashed, and Mr. Pirzada’s stoic facade is cracked as he sits with his head in his hands. The botched pumpkin foreshadows the events of Halloween night, which themselves symbolize Lilia’s relationship to American culture.

“When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine” uses juxtaposition to highlight some of the daily tensions Lilia experiences in navigating two different cultural spheres. When Lilia visits Dora’s home after their night of trick or treating, she calls home to let her mother know she has arrived safely, and she hears the news in the background.