In 1950 at Gwendolyn Gardens, Tradewinds hosts Planters’ Week for the first time. Digby, a founding member, surveys the bustling club, noting how post-Independence planters still cling to old traditions even as Indian planters now predominate. From the window he glimpses a striking woman in a white sari retrieving a wind-blown hat, and the sight jolts him.

Inside the crowded bar, Franz Mylin arrives with drinks and reveals he and Lena have brought a guest: Elsie, Chandy’s daughter. Franz recounts that Elsie’s child died horrifically the previous year and that she left her husband afterward. Digby, shaken, recognizes the depth of her loss and the futility of platitudes.

They join Lena and Elsie by the courts. Digby recalls how, years earlier at Saint Bridget’s, Elsie’s “drawing therapy” freed his injured hand and mind. Now he greets her with wordless gratitude and compassion, sensing her perilous grief. They sit together, exchanging presence rather than consolation.

Their talk turns to art when Elsie recognizes her own painting in Digby’s bungalow. She reflects on seeing it again and how the artist she was has changed; Digby replies, “Art is never finished. Only abandoned.” Their shared laughter breaks isolation, and as they hold each other’s gaze, Digby perceives her inner scars and offers silent companionship, marking the start of a deep connection.