Behind the Beautiful Forevers

Asha, who for much of the book aspires to be the slumlord of Annawadi, is determined to rise above her situation, even if her success comes at the expense of others. She fawns over local politicians like the Corporator, whom she believes can make her prosperous, and attempts any get-rich-quick scheme she encounters. She is callous to her neighbors, many of whom come to her for help; she turns the illiterate Greeta and her children onto the streets, and she refuses to help Mr. Kamble secure a government loan for a heart operation (although this means he later dies). She leaves the family hut to visit with various male companions, trading sexual favors for influence—and she is unashamed to do so, although her husband and children witness these actions. She also has no difficulty taking government funds for a school she does not run, for students who are not being educated. Asha exemplifies how corruption can improve one’s status in Annawadi, as lying, cheating, and stepping over others is what allows her to finally succeed.

Abdul refers to Manju as the “everything girl”: She is beautiful, respectful, and educated. In contrast to her scheming mother Asha, Manju teaches the children in Annawadi because she wants to teach them and wants them to learn. Although Manju has a number of achievements, she still has little access to opportunity. Her education does not involve reading texts but “by-hearting” them—memorizing summaries of plot and character. She takes a course and becomes qualified to sell insurance but does not know anyone who can afford to buy insurance. Manju has been groomed to make a good match in marriage, but there are few men worthy of her, and the ones she is most interested in are still out of her grasp.

Manju’s ideals are worn down over the years covered in the book. While at first she begs her mother not to go visit men at night, she later approves of her mother’s choice of sari for one of these visits. She eventually stops teaching class out of her hut and becomes her mother’s “secretary,” signing the checks that should benefit slum children but instead serve as kickbacks to others.

Each of the road boys has a different story, though they are essentially all the same—boys from bad home circumstances that have led them to fend for themselves on the streets of Mumbai. Kalu is the ultimate risk-taker, cocky and self-assured. As head of the thieves, Kalu is a personality in Annawadi—but this does not protect him when he is caught by the police and pressured to turn in a local drug dealer. Kalu’s life, like the lives of many of the road boys, is eased by the temporary pleasures of Eraz-ex; a sniff or two could make him forget his circumstances and enjoy a fleeting high. Sunil, who is truly fending for himself, idolizes both the work ethic of Abdul and the bravado of Kalu. When he steals, Sunil earns more money and therefore has more to eat, even if he is assuming more risk. Ultimately, Sunil vows not to steal and carves out a meager existence for himself.

The road boys’ lives are essentially worthless in the greater scheme of Mumbai, which is marching toward progress and recognition as an international destination. Kalu’s death is quickly swept under the rug; the deaths of others, no matter the circumstances, are treated with the same rushed disdain. This lack of care and concern demonstrates the divide between the two Mumbais, the modern overcity and impoverished undercity. Investigating the road boys’ deaths is not worth the time or energy, and so the system falsifies their causes of death to maintain this illusion of separation.