Chapter - 22
"Diamond Dust"

- Anita Desai

Question- What is the summary of the story 'Diamond Dust' by Anita Desai?

Answer - 

The story 'Diamond Dust' opens with a line of dialogue spoken by Mrs. Das, the wife of the protagonist, Mr. Das. She expresses her fear and frustration over the bad behaviour of her husband's beloved pet, Diamond. The dog has attacked the postman and bitten the ankle of one of their grandchildren. Mrs Das questions Mr. Das's decision to name the dog after a jewel when he should be called Devil. Mr. Das's friend C.P. Biswas agrees that the dog's name is inappropriate suggesting he should be named for his coal- black fur.

Mr. Das, however, is devoted to his dog, doting on him in spite of his bad behaviour. When Mr. Das comes home from work, he greets Diamond even before greeting his family. Mrs. Das is surprised at her husband's deep affection for the dog, because he gives his pet more attention than he ever gave his children and grandchildren. Troubled by her husband's surprising absorption in his pet, Mrs. Das has a sense of foreboding that Mr. Das's blind love for the dog will not end well.

The narrator describes how things were when Diamond was a puppy. Mr Das is thrilled, watching the dog grow, but Mrs. Das notices only the puppy's accidents, which creat puddles on her clean floors. Mr. Das takes the young dog to the park, letting him run off his leash and chase chipmunks.

Mr. Das's friends and coworkers do not understand his interest in Diamond any more than does his wife. They fear he has taken leave of his senses. They can not fathom how a reputable government servant can demean himself by "ramping ridiculously' in the gardens with his dog. They campare him to another coworker Raman Kutty, who beghaved in an equally ridiculous manner over his infant grand daughter Mr. Biswas fears that their work superiors might see Mr. Das and think ill of him. Because of what he sees in inappropriate hehaviour on the part of Mr. Das, Mr. Biswas is ready to explode. However, Mr. Bose, another colleague of Mr. Das's tactfully changes the subject.

Mr-Das, having to live with the dog, is more affected than Mr Das's friends. She likes to keep a very tidy house, but Diamond's hair and bones are scattered about she staunchly refuses to buy and cook meat to feed the dog and even resents having to sacrifice one of her pots so that Mr. Das can prepare the food himself. She unfavourably compares Diamond to well- behaved and tidy cat she used to keep as a poet.

The children of the neighborhood are interested in Diamond, but the dog is too energetic when he plays sometimes nipping at them. Even when a little girl, Ranu, is bitten on her foot, Mr. Das does not curb the dog, instead, he scolds the children for not playing with Diamond properly.

Diamond is very territorial, barking at anyone who approaches the Das home, even the postman, the thrash collectors, and children on their way to school. Mrs. Das is frustrated that their letters go astray because the postman refuses to put their mail in the box, instead tossing it over the hedge. Mr. Das does not recognize the problem. Instead, he is proud that Diamond defends the house from Intruders.

The neighbours, concerned for their children's safety, complain to Mr. Das, but they stop short of filing on official report because they feel it is not neighbourly or because they feel sorry for Mr. Das. However, many lose their sympathy for Mr. Das when a group of the neighbourhood children help look for diamond, who has run away and find him with a female dog in heat.

Diamond starts to run away more often, and every time, Mr. Das wanders the streets until he finds him. Mr, Biswas worries that chasing after Diamond is affecting Mr. Das's performance at work. He overhears a phone conversation in which Mr. Das profusely apologizes, yet afterwords, Mr. Das is worried not about his job but about his missing pet.

Mr. Das buys a stronger chain and color for Diamond to keep him in the yard, and the dog's howls are heard all over the neighbourhood. Diamond is not happy being chained and Mr. Das worries that he is not eating well.

One evening, as the weather is turning chilly, Mr. Das returns home from work to learn from his wife that diamond has escaped yet again. Mr Das spends several nights searching for diamond and becomes ill, in spite of bunding up against the cold. Mrs. Das tries to worn her husband, saying, "Give him up before this search kills you."

Mr. Das becomes more and more forlorn until he finally catches sight of diamond in a dog-catcher's vain. In anger and desperation, Mr. Das flings himself of the vain. He clings to the bars over the back windows but is thrown off. He falls, hitting his head, and is killed.

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