"Remains of the Feast" is a short story about a woman's relationship with her grandmother in the final days of her life. The narrator describes her grandmother's physical decline and the emotional toll of watching someone she loves suffer. The narrator describes the room of her great-grandmother Rukmini, who recently died at the age of 90. The room still carries the smell of her, but it's not the same overpowering smell that clung to everything during her final days. Rukmini had been in a nursing home for ten days before she died, with a cancerous lump in her neck that spread rapidly throughout her body.
The narrator reflects on her relationship with Rukmini, who had survived her only son and daughter-in-law by ten years. Despite being a village-bred woman who signed papers with a thumbprint, she outlived her city-bred and ambitious descendants, which she found slightly hilarious. Rukmini had a sense of humor that was quaint, yet embarrassing at times, and would often giggle uncontrollably, especially when telling her favorite joke about farting like a train.As the narrator studied at night, Rukmini would chuckle and tell her to study hard and become a big doctor madam, reminiscing about the last time she saw a doctor when she was thirty years old.
The narrator is a young person living alone in their grandparents' house after their great-grandmother passed away. They are starting medical college soon and spend their nights studying anatomy. The narrator's grandfather used to faint at the sight of his own blood, and the great-grandmother recently passed away after lying in bed for two months. The doctor who came to see her noticed a lump on her neck that had been there for a while but was never checked because of old beliefs about operations. The narrator's father is nervous and doesn't want to argue with his mother, and the doctor is sympathetic towards him.
The narrator's great-grandmother is nearing the end of her life and has been told by the doctor that she will soon die. The family decides not to tell her the truth to avoid causing her worry and inconvenience. However, the great-grandmother discovers a secret food stash that the narrator has been bringing her, including non-vegetarian items, which she relishes despite her strict Brahmin beliefs. Their secret partnership grows as she becomes bolder with her requests, and her cravings become more unpredictable.
The Protagonist's great-grandmother who is dying and becoming increasingly demanding and difficult as her health deteriorates. She asks for unusual food and drink and refuses the gruel that is being fed to her. Eventually, she is admitted to a nursing home and dies there, surrounded by her family.
The great-grandmother, who had been sick for some time, suddenly requests a red sari and specific foods before passing away. After her death, the family cleans her body and dresses her in the requested sari, despite the mother's disapproval. The passage explores themes of tradition, family, death, and the unexpected nature of life.
After her great-grandmother's death, the narrator reflects on the legacy of her life and the pain she concealed into a cancer. She searches for her great-grandmother in the food she used to enjoy and seeks revenge for her by giving herself diarrhea. Eventually, she airs out her great-grandmother's room and replaces her old, dirty saris with new books on the shelves. The books stand like armed soldiers, filling the cupboard quickly.
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