Maneck's conscience eats at him; he does not know what to do for he has never made even the smallest decision before. He cannot take risks for fear of the consequences. Maneck's one decision proves to be his last when he jumps off the train and kills himself. .
Since Dina is a woman, society automatically places her on the bottom of social classes, but Dina has the opportunity to rise up by marrying one of her brothers wealthy friends. However, Dina neglects this opportunity in order to find true love with Rustom. Sadly, though, Rustom dies shortly after their marriage. Dina now possesses another opportunity to marry into wealth, but she despises her brother and his friends by "moving her belongings back to Rustom's flat"(52). Dina had to make a stand against her brother who has been bossing her around for many years. She takes a huge risk, but makes a giant move in winning the game of life by setting out for success. She now more than ever has something to prove. Nusswan even told his wife loud enough for Dina to hear, "I would just love to see how she supports herself"(52). She does everything, either legal or illegal, in order to accomplish this independence from her brother, but it proves to be a monumental task for a widow. She takes a sewing job at first, but soon is no longer physically able due to failing eye sight, and creates an illegal sweat shop in her flat. She develops a new family of sorts with the two tailors, Ishvar and Om, then comes Maneck who truly makes the four characters happier than ever. This makeshift family cannot last forever because the characters all have to move on in life, and Dina abruptly is left alone with no husband to take care of her. Dina ends up where she never wanted to- back at Nusswan's house, for no one was there to care for her. When Maneck went back to visit her, he sees her and thinks to himself: "eight years in passing were entitled to take their toll; but this-this was more than a toll, it was outright banditry"(594).