Anupama's eyes filled with tears of joy when she received her first salary. She considered it her duty to send some money to her father. She even offered Sumithra money to cover her expenses, but it was Hari who stopped her, saying, 'How can I take money from you? If I had my sister staying with me, would I take money from her? You are just like a sister to me. You can stay in our house as long as you wish.'
With financial independence, Anupama's confidence began to blossom. She had become friends with many of the girls who worked with her. They were from various backgrounds and even different regions of the country, and they lived in different parts of Bombay. None of them ever talked about her skin patches or her past.
Anupama, too, had begun to accept her condition and look beyond it. The darkest period of her life was behind her now. She and Dolly travelled to and from work together every day, and they became good friends over a period of time.
Anupama constantly felt the need to take up accommodation of her own. Sumi and Hari were very cordial with her, but she was afraid that such closeness could end in unhappiness.
She had requested all her friends to help her find a place to stay. But, so far, she had not been able to find anything that was within her means.
When Anupama received her Deepavali bonus, she bought a silk sari for Sumi and a silver bowl for Hari.
As she gave them the gifts, Hari objected, saying that they were too expensive. Anupama silenced him by saying, 'This is a gift from your sister for Deepavali.' She was deeply grateful for the way they had helped her in her time of need