The Death of Vivek Oji

Chapter 6 is again a half-page narrated by Vivek. Vivek recalls liking the book The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born because the word “beauty” is left intact: “I wanted to be as whole as that word” (67).

Narrating, Osita recalls that when Vivek came home from college, the family becomes divided over Vivek’s long hair and the assumption that this hair change means Vivek is unwell. Osita remembers more:

Vivek suggests that Osita might be lying about having a girlfriend in a different town. Vivek then suggests that Osita might be attracted to men. Osita becomes angry and responds aggressively when Vivek tries to comfort him. When Vivek calls Osita “brother,” or “bhai,” in the middle of the night (his term of endearment for Osita), Osita has the urge to move a curl of hair from Vivek’s cheek but is “too afraid to touch him” (88).

An unnamed narrator reports more past events:

At Mary and Kavita’s behest, Vivek attends Mary’s church, but he comes home angry and refuses to return to the church, showing Kavita where Mary’s congregation beat his body. “Stop trying to fix me” (95), he tells Kavita angrily.

Kavita calls Mary to confront her about the assault.