By including Hema’s family in their search for a home, the Choudhuris inadvertently underscore the widening social and financial divides between their families. Hema’s parents are gracious enough to allow the Choudhuris to stay in their home indefinitely, but they feel as though their loyalty has been taken advantage of. Hema, meanwhile, remains shielded from the growing strain around her—in this bubble, she’s free to focus on Kaushik, her first experience of adolescent longing.