At dawn after their wedding night, Elsie asks Philipose to fell the jackfruit tree shading their room. Philipose hesitates, citing its fame from his story and its shared history with their fathers. The delay creates a fissure he feels but won’t admit. Time passes; he plans a photograph at the tree and rationalizes postponement, while Elsie remains outwardly unbothered.

Domestic life settles in. Elsie sketches Philipose, revealing his self-doubt and her superior artistic fluency, which unsettles him. Big Ammachi dotes on Elsie, who helps in the kitchen yet focuses on art. They expand the bedroom, add Philipose’s study, and build Elsie a light-filled studio patio. When Decency Kochamma requests a portrait, Elsie asserts her terms and declines.

Lizzi becomes Elsie’s first model just as Uplift Master reports that Manager Kora has absconded over forged loans. Elsie’s portrait captures Lizzi’s poise and anger; after viewing it, Lizzi vanishes, presumably to seize control of her troubled marriage. The family is shaken, but the portrait helps them accept her choice and confirms Elsie’s exceptional talent.

News intrudes: Nehru’s release suggests empire’s end; the atomic bombings horrify the household. Philipose removes his war maps, choosing to memorialize home, writing, and Elsie. Then Chandy invites them to the hill estate. Elsie is eager, but Philipose’s hearing and travel anxieties surge. Cornered by shame, he says, “Let the world come to us,” and finally forbids the trip. Elsie calmly declares she will see her father and sleeps apart.

When the estate car arrives, Philipose blusters, even trying to lock her in; Big Ammachi scolds him, urges cutting the tree, and reveals Elsie is pregnant. Elsie leaves. After anguished letters, Philipose meets her at the Thetanatt house. He apologizes and admits his panic about routines, people, and hearing. Elsie, nauseated by paints and working in charcoal, listens kindly. Sitting together at last, she accepts his love but sets a boundary: “You can love me just a little less.”