Previous
Akash
In “Unaccustomed Earth,” Mrs. Bagchi is the Bengali woman who Ruma’s father meets on his European travels. A widow who opposes the idea of remarrying, she makes her intentions clear from the beginning of their relationship. She’s warm, thoughtful, and similarly independent. They share a companionship rooted in mutual understanding, having both experienced the loneliness of widowhood. Their relationship represents the possibility of a meaningful connection in a new phase of life, bringing unexpected joy to Ruma’s father in his later years.
Get the entire Unaccustomed Earth LitChart as a printable PDF.
Mrs. Meenakshi Bagchi Character Timeline in Unaccustomed Earth
The timeline below shows where the character Mrs. Meenakshi Bagchi appears in Unaccustomed Earth. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
1. Unaccustomed Earth
...for these vacations to their homeland. On a recent solo trip to Italy, he met Mrs. Meenakshi Bagchi , a widow and fellow Bengali in his tour group, and they quickly formed a...
(full context)
Ruma’s father distributes gifts from his Italian vacation. He doesn’t share that Mrs. Bagchi selected all the gifts. He doesn’t intend to tell either Ruma or her brother, Romi,...
(full context)
While showing Ruma and Akash the videos he took in Italy, Ruma’s father panics when Mrs. Bagchi briefly appears on screen, and Ruma asks who the strange woman is. He evades the...
(full context)
...into their meals. As he prepares to leave Seattle, he discreetly tucks a postcard for Mrs. Bagchi into a book, ensuring Ruma won’t find it. While explaining to Ruma how to care...
(full context)
...for his new love—the same woman, she presumes, she saw in his Italy video ( Mrs. Bagchi ). Meanwhile, at the airport, Ruma’s father regrets losing the postcard. Ruma, however, affixes a...
(full context)
