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Lakshmi gradually picks up a few words in the city language, including the word “whore,” which she understands to be an angry insult, although she is unaware of the word’s full meaning. When she witnesses Harish being bullied by other boys who call his mom a “whore,” she reflects that Harish does not really have a normal life, and she starts to resent him less. Harish checks Pushpa’s temperature often to see if she has a fever. Mumtaz says that if her fever comes back, both she and her children will be cast out on the street.

Lakshmi continues calculating her remaining debt in her notebook, as well as recording new words that she learns in the city language. Harish sees her doing this and asks if she would like him to teach her to read the city language, starting with the words in his storybook. She gladly accepts, and they start doing lessons each day after Harish’s school is over and before customers arrive. She learns that there are actually two city languages: English and Hindi, with Hindi being more similar to her native language. She learns many simple words in both languages quickly and can state her name, age, and place of origin, along with naming basic emotions and objects. Shahanna warns Lakshmi not to let Mumtaz or Shilpa see her notebook, or she’ll be locked up in the individual room again.

One night, the TV does not work, and the other girls ask Monica and Shilpa to tell them the plot of a movie. Apparently, Mumtaz sometimes lets certain girls attend the movies, especially Shilpa, who is here voluntarily because Happiness House is her family’s business.

The Street Boy with the tea cart, who is also from Nepal, asks Lakshmi one day why she never buys tea. She is ashamed to tell him that she is saving her money to return home one day, so she runs off instead of answering him. Shilpa purchases liquor from the Street Boy; her mother gave her alcohol as a child to ease the pain of being with men, and now she is addicted.

Harish continues teaching Lakshmi languages using his different storybooks, including an American one that introduces her to America as a place and culture and teaches her about things like the TV show “Sesame Street” and the game of soccer. Harish attends a special American school on Saturdays and claims that the story Mumtaz tells about Americans forcing escaped sexually exploited children to do shame walks in the streets is a lie meant to discourage them from trying to escape. Harish says that far from shaming him as a child of the brothels, the Americans at the school want to help people escape from this situation. Lakshmi doesn’t know what to believe because she has been lied to so often and knows that Harish is a young child who may not have reliable information. Also, the storybook makes it seem as though everyone in America is rich, which seems impossible, further decreasing her trust in Harish’s report.

One day, Monica saves Lakshmi from being raped without payment by the doctor who gives them birth control shots. Monica is proud because she pays for her daughter’s school fees and medicine, and she believes that her family will honor her when she returns home.

Harish notices that Lakshmi’s pencil is down to a stub, so he gives her a new one, a kindness that brings her to tears. She then uses her bundle of old clothes, which no longer smell like home, to make a soccer ball. (Harish doesn’t have one but is always kicking around other objects). He loves it and goes to kick it down the street, and Lakshmi is happy that a part of her has escaped.

Monica leaves, giving away all her makeup and gear before she goes. Lakshmi gets a fever, and Harish watches over her. Mumtaz gives her medicine, which cures the fever but adds to her debt. Monica promptly returns to Happiness House because she has nowhere else to go. When she returned to her family, her father beat her, shamed her, and informed her that her daughter believes she is dead.

Pushpa’s illness worsens and she stays in bed for three days, after which time Mumtaz says she must entertain customers that night in order to keep her place in Happiness House, or she will be cast out onto the street, along with her children. Despite such a dire threat, Pushpa cannot work, and Mumtaz suggests that Pushpa sell her baby, Jeena, instead. Pushpa is disgusted at this suggestion and makes a “sound beyond language” (196). When Harish gets home, he knows to start packing their trunk. Harish is going to ask his American teacher with help in finding a place to stay until Pushpa heals. He plans to make money for the family, possibly doing manual labor. When he leaves, he gives Lakshmi the American storybook, and she laments that the words he taught her are now “useless” since the others at Happiness House only speak Hindi and Lakshmi’s native language, but not English. Monica gives Lakshmi her own doll to sleep with, as a comfort for losing Harish. Lakshmi is not sure how much time has passed but believes that she is now 14.

An American customer visits Lakshmi and asks her name and age, inquiring whether she is being kept against her will. When he asks whether she wants to leave, she remembers Shahanna’s advice and thinks his questions are a trap, so she says no. The American claims that he can take Lakshmi to a clean place with food, where she will not be required to have sex with men. She still refuses. He gives her a business card with words she that she cannot read and some numbers, then leaves. Lakshmi knows that she could get in trouble for having the card, so she hides it under the rug.

Lakshmi tells Shahanna about the American customer. Shahanna again stresses that it is a trap. Anita, who escaped before and was brought back by Mumtaz’s minions, apparently thinks that some of those minions were Americans, which perhaps they were. Lakshmi says maybe Anita was wrong, or maybe there are different sorts of Americans, since the world is a big place. Shahanna then asks Lakshmi if they can escape together if the American comes back. Lakshmi goes to return Monica’s doll, and Shilpa informs her that Monica has been kicked out because she has “the virus” for which there is no cure (HIV).

A police raid occurs, and the girls hide under floor panels and in various other places while Mumtaz and her minions watch the police tear the place apart. The police find Shahanna and take her, but no one else is rescued.