Question

Only once did the grandmother not pray. When and why did she break that routine?

Answer 1

Grandmother missed her prayer on the day of author’s return from abroad.

Explanation:

The grandmother is so religious that she did not miss her prayers any single day. She has a routine daily; to recite prayers the whole day and counting beads. By the afternoon, she would sit on the courtyard and feed the sparrows.

She did not feel unsettled when the author went abroad. The author thought she won’t be alive when he returns but she was waiting to receive him. She missed her prayers on the day of his return. She received him and fed the birds a little longer. She sang with drums for hours.