ional ▁character ▁called ▁L ail a , ▁who ▁is ▁a ▁fifteen - year - old ▁or phan ed ▁daughter ▁of ▁a ▁rich ▁Muslim ▁family ▁of ▁Tal u q d ars . ▁It ▁is ▁a ▁novel ▁by ▁a ▁Muslim ▁lady ▁on ▁the ▁theme ▁of ▁Part ition ▁of ▁India . ▁ ▁Title ▁The ▁title ▁comes ▁from ▁a ▁line ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁st anza ▁of ▁T . S ▁Eli ot ' s ▁( 1 9 2 5 ) ▁poem ▁The ▁H ollow ▁Men : ▁E yes ▁I ▁dare ▁not ▁meet ▁in ▁dream s ▁In ▁death ' s ▁dream ▁kingdom ▁These ▁do ▁not ▁appear : ▁ <0x09> ▁There , ▁the ▁eyes ▁are ▁Sun light ▁on ▁a ▁broken ▁column ▁ ▁Plot ▁summary ▁ ▁L ail a , ▁a ▁young ▁girl ▁who ▁has ▁lost ▁both ▁her ▁parents , ▁lives ▁in ▁the ▁household ▁of ▁her ▁grand father , ▁along ▁with ▁her ▁father ’ s ▁sister s ▁Ab ida ▁and ▁Maj ida ▁and , ▁Maj ida ’ s ▁sevent een - year - old ▁daughter ▁Z ah ra . ▁She ▁is ▁brought ▁up ▁by ▁her ▁orth odox ▁but ▁principle d ▁A unt ▁Ab ida . ▁Though ▁L ail a , ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁wishes ▁of ▁her ▁father , ▁had ▁the ▁benefit ▁of ▁western ▁education , ▁she ▁too ▁keeps ▁pur d ah ▁like ▁her ▁a un ts . ▁However , ▁death ▁of ▁her ▁grand father ▁makes ▁Uncle ▁Ham id , ▁her ▁father ’ s ▁elder ▁brother , ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁family ▁and ▁her ▁new ▁guard ian . ▁Uncle ▁Ham id , ▁a