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7. Hema and Kaushik: Year’s End
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Unaccustomed Earth, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Cultural Identity and the Immigrant Experience
Family and Generational Conflict
Love, Loss, and Nostalgia
Loneliness and Isolation
Home and Belonging
Summary
Analysis
Hema, now a tenure-track professor at Wellesley, is staying at her colleague Giovanna’s empty apartment in Rome, taking advantage of the free Italian lodgings while Giovanna is away. She frequents a nearby restaurant where the servers know her order. Julian, the married man with whom she had a years-long affair, introduced her to the restaurant. She always believed that he’d leave his wife, but he never did. Now, Hema is engaged to Navin, an Indian professor of physics at MIT. She doesn’t tell Navin or Hema’s parents, who have returned to Calcutta, that she’s going to Rome to be alone, instead claiming she’s completing a visiting lectureship.
Staying in her colleague’s apartment allows Hema to immerse herself in Rome on her own terms, separate from her prior experiences in the city with Julian. Marrying Navin reflects her choice to embrace a more stable life, as he provides her with the security and promise that Julian never could. Still, Hema’s deception about her trip hints that she’s still grappling with her own desires, even on the brink of a big life change. Her parents, however, are thrilled that she’s finally settling down—especially with an Indian man.
Themes
After nearly a decade as “the other woman” with Julian, Hema appreciates Navin’s willingness to center her in his life. She admires his reliability. Their relationship isn’t the most exciting or intimate, but Hema, now 37, is ready to settle down and start a family. Though she’s studied Rome her whole life, she feels that, like Calcutta, the city keeps her “at bay.” She spends her days at Giovanna’s reading, working on professional research, and sightseeing. One day, Hema returns to a message from Edo, a friend of Giovanna’s, inviting her to a lunch with his wife. Although it interrupts her cherished seclusion, she accepts.
Though Hema has reached a point in her life where she is supposedly no longer willing to sacrifice her happiness for the benefit of a man, her decision to settle down with Navin—whom she doesn’t truly love—remains a sacrifice. She passively accepts Navin because, at least with him, her desires matter. Her feeling that both Rome and Calcutta keep her at a distance creates a parallel between these two cities which, in theory, should hold personal significance for her. But she is fundamentally estranged from both her homeland and the city she’s spent her life studying, an internal conflict that speaks to the struggle of crafting a dual identity.
Themes
As the narration returns to Kaushik, he reveals that he met Edo’s wife, Paola, when they both covered the same bombing in Netanya. His career as a photojournalist began nearly 20 years earlier on a trip to Latin America. Traveling through Guatemala and El Salvador, Kaushik witnessed the region’s political violence and instability firsthand. At lunch one afternoon during his time there, a man was shot in the street, and Kaushik captured the aftermath on camera, marking a turning point in his life. Through the years, he worked for AP and The New York Times, as well as with human rights agencies, documenting tragedies and conflicts throughout the world.
Kaushik’s career as a photojournalist reflects a life marked by witnessing, rather than participating in, the world around him. His important work in war zones and humanitarian crises illustrates his adventurousness and capacity for empathy, but it also makes it easy for him to avoid forming meaningful connections. Moreover, this nomadic lifestyle distances Kaushik from a stable home, as he has spent most of his life untethered to any single place.
Themes
The nature of his work keeps Kaushik largely out of the United States, which he is grateful for. He avoids his father, Dr. Choudhuri, and his “new” family on the rare occasions he finds himself in Massachusetts. Rupa has married and works as an elementary school art teacher, and Piu is in medical school. Kaushik’s home base is in Italy, and he stays there between assignments. Years prior, he’d followed a girlfriend, Franca, to Milan, but he was ultimately unable to make a lifelong commitment to her. As a result, he moved to Rome, where he’s been ever since. Their relationship ended poorly, and they never spoke again.
Avoiding the United States allows Kaushik distance from a more conventional life—and from painful reminders of his late mother. Living in Rome provides him a semblance of stability without the risk of intimate, emotional attachment. He comes and goes freely, just as he does with his father and stepfamily, maintaining only superficial relationships.
Themes
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Kaushik first visited Rome before his family returned to Massachusetts when his mother, Parul, fell ill, so the city often reminds him of her. Though he’s grown fond of Rome, he plans to leave Italy by year’s end, having accepted a photo editing position in Hong Kong. Now almost 40, he feels ready for a more settled life. Edo and Paola’s gatherings always draw an interesting mixture of artists and intellectuals, and Kaushik wonders what kinds of people he’ll meet this time. On his way to their home, he spots a woman appearing lost on their street. When she turns to him, he’s stunned—it’s Hema.
Rome serves as a city of layered memories for Kaushik, connecting him to his mother while also enabling a more transient lifestyle. That he is now willing to leave and settle in Hong Kong speaks to his desire to finally begin a new chapter—a major step for such a nomadic spirit. When he encounters Hema for the first time in decades, it feels like fate, an instant, meaningful reconnection.
Themes
At lunch, everyone assumes that Hema and Kaushik must be either long-parted friends or lovers. Kaushik watches Hema intently, appreciating the beauty he can now clearly see in her, while Hema thinks he’s just as beautiful as ever. Both are acutely aware of this rare chance that brought them together again after decades apart. They head to Kaushik’s apartment after lunch to catch up privately. He gently touches the gold bangle on her wrist, remembering how she wore it years ago when they were young.
Hema and Kaushik both recognize the gravity of their chance encounter and the unspoken bond between them. Drawn to each other, they seamlessly resume their relationship, as though their story had simply been paused. Subtle gestures, like Kaushik touching Hema’s bangle, speak to the depth of their latent emotions, allowing them to acknowledge and act on feelings they never imagined they’d pursue in their youth.
Themes
Hema tells Kaushik that she’s engaged, though she hasn’t known Navin long and only agreed to the marriage in hopes it would “fix things.” This is all Kaushik needs to hear. They share a passionate night together, and Hema only feels only mildly guilty for betraying Navin. When she recalls a fond memory of Kaushik’s mother, it doesn’t sadden him but instead emphasizes their bond—Hema is the only woman he’s slept with who knew his mother personally. The next morning, she notices a rash around her mouth from Kaushik’s aggressive kissing, feeling pleased he’s already “marked” her.
Hema’s admission about Navin signals her vulnerability, creating an opening for intimacy with Kaushik. Their night together carries the weight of their shared history, uniting them in a way neither has experienced with other partners. For Kaushik, Hema also represents a rare link to his mother; her presence introduces a familiarity and continuity to his fragmented life. However, this connection also complicates things, blurring the lines between romantic desire and Kaushik’s complex, unresolved grief.
Themes
Hema and Kaushik begin spending most of their time together, Hema willingly setting aside her research even though she knows this affair can only end in heartbreak. They explore landmarks and museums, with Hema—immersed in her study of the Etruscans—sharing her insights on Roman history with Kaushik. They live only in the present, avoiding discussion of their shared history and inevitable separation. When Hema looks through Kaushik’s portfolio, she’s deeply moved by the raw violence, desolation, and inhumanity captured in his images. Kaushik confesses that documenting such tragedies has taken a toll, sometimes making him question his own humanity.
For Kaushik, this affair largely represents a precious connection to his late mother, while for Hema, it’s a return to her childhood crush. Regardless, for both parties, the affair becomes a retreat into the familiarity of immature and naïve impulses, perhaps fueled by underlying fears of the uncertain futures awaiting them both. This fear is especially pronounced in Kaushik, who believes that his traumatic experiences may have stripped him of his humanity and empathy.
Themes
Though Hema tells herself that she’ll return to her old life in just a few weeks, and this Roman dream with Kaushik will soon come to its natural end, she feels herself falling in love with him. They take a trip together in their final week to the less populous Volterra, an old Etruscan city, visiting museums and churches. After lunch one day, Kaushik asks Hema to leave Navin and move to Hong Kong with him. Hesitant, Hema tells him it’s “too late,” but as she looks in Kaushik’s eyes, she sees how serious he is about her.
As Hema’s love for Kaushik grows, so does her awareness of her own conflicting desires and the reality of her situation. Though she is tempted to accept Kaushik’s offer and spontaneously move with him to Hong Kong, it isn’t what she truly wants at this stage of her life. She wants commitment and security, and her response emphasizes the caution that has largely guided her major life choices.
Themes
Driving back to Rome, Hema tells Kaushik she can’t go to Hong Kong—she can’t abandon her entire life on a whim. She suggests that they can still travel to see each other, but Kaushik calls her a coward, wounded by her rejection. Though she knows she’s doing the right thing, Hema begins to cry, and he remains silent, unmoved, just like when they were kids, and she cried at the news of Parul’s illness. He takes her to the airport the following day, kissing her goodbye. Before her plane takes off, Hema realizes that the gold bangle she’s worn since she was a child is missing—she left it at airport security.
Kaushik labeling Hema a “coward” is a projection of his own insecurity. In reality, he’s the one who has always been afraid of putting down roots and letting another person all the way in, always keeping a camera lens between him and the rest of the world. Perhaps Hema is about to marry someone she doesn’t yet love, but she knows that Navin is a good man who is willing to establish roots with her on her terms, something Kaushik seems incapable of. The loss of her favorite bangle represents Hema leaving behind an integral piece of herself—and of her past, in the form of Kaushik.
Themes
Before his job begins in Hong Kong, Kaushik spends Christmas alone at a resort near Khao Lak, in Thailand. He misses Hema and regrets how he behaved when she refused to move with him. His anger has now turned into sadness and longing. Sitting on the beach, he observes a Swedish family swimming and later sees them in the resort restaurant. After the wife and children have retired, the husband, Henrik, invites Kaushik for a drink, commenting that he looks like he’s “thinking of someone.” Kaushik is surprised—he thought he’d hidden his melancholy better.
Kaushik’s solitary retreat to Thailand gives him the space to process his farewell with Hema, as he realizes that his feelings for her remain. His encounter with Henrik’s family highlights his own lifelong alienation, while connecting with Henrik becomes a rare moment when someone truly sees Kaushik. Despite his nomadic and superficial lifestyle, Kaushik finds that he is still affected by moments of sincere human connection.
Themes
The next morning, Kaushik encounters Henrik again. Henrik asks if he felt the earthquake earlier that morning, but Kaushik slept through it. He invites Kaushik on a boat ride to explore coral reefs, and though Kaushik has feared the ocean since nearly drowning a few years ago, he agrees to tag along. Watching Henrik swim in the sea, Kaushik thinks he sees Parul swimming below the surface, too—a fleeting vision that inspires him to brave the water once more, as she would have. As he hoists his body over the edge of the boat, holding on just in case, he realizes that his feet touch the sea floor, and he lets go.
Despite his fear of the ocean, Kaushik joins Henrik on the boat, reflecting his newfound willingness to confront his fears. Spurred on by his mother’s specter in the water, Kaushik finally lets go, a profound moment of release and acceptance. His bravery suggests that he is beginning the process of reconciling with the past, perhaps as a result of Hema’s transformative influence and Henrik’s kindness.
Themes
Now in Calcutta with her mother preparing for her wedding, Hema can’t stop wondering if letting Kaushik go was the biggest mistake of her life. Then she sees the news on TV, learning of the devastating tsunami in the Indian Ocean that struck areas of Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Thailand. By the time Kaushik’s modest obituary appears in The New York Times, Hema already knows that he’s gone, no longer able to feel his presence. She marries Navin and falls pregnant. Addressing Kaushik as “you” once more, she reflects that her child could have been his, if not for the precautions they’d taken. In the end, Kaushik had “left nothing behind.”
The news of Kaushik’s death brings a haunting conclusion to his and Hema’s story—just as he started to open himself to the world, he was killed by a tsunami. The juxtaposition of Hema’s marriage to Navin with Kaushik’s passing highlights the contrast between a life grounded in stability and one defined by impermanence. Hema’s thoughts of her unborn child—a symbol of the future she’s creating with Navin—reflect her bittersweet longing for what might have been with Kaushik. Her pain is less about wishing for a different outcome than it is about what will now never be in her relationship with Kaushik.
Themes
