Lahiri’s “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine” is a short story set in 1971 during the Pakistani War about the relationship between Mr. Pirzada and Lilia, the narrator. Mr. Pirzada is a man who comes to America from Pakistan to study botany in Boston, where Lilia and her family live. Her parents invite Mr. Pirzada over for dinner every night, and the readers learn about their relationship with each other as it grows over time. Even though the two characters may appear to be very different, by the end of the story it becomes clear that they are far more alike than different.
First of all, both Lilia and Mr. Pirzada are both very kind-hearted, caring people. For example, everything Mr. Pirzada comes over for dinner, he brings along some candy for Lilia. One night when he comes over, Lilia’s mom tell him, that he spoils Lilia, but Mr. Pirzada…show more content… Pirzada show a mutual love for each other. One can tell by their everyday actions that they genuinely care about each other and have each other's best interests in mind. For example, when terrible things were going on in Pakistan, where Mr. Pirzada’s family resides, Lilia says to herself, “I prayed that Mr. Pirzada’s family was safe and sound. I have never prayed for anything before” (4). This shows that since Lilia said she has never prayed for anything before, she must truly care for the safety of Mr. Pirzada and his family. Mr. Pirzada also shows through through his actions a mutual love for Lilia because on Halloween when Lilia was going out trick-or-treating with her friend, Mr. Pirzada says, “Perhaps I should accompany them?’... and his eyes contained a panic I had never seen before” (6). This quote explains that Mr. Pirzada cares deeply for Lilia and wants to protect her, so nothing bad could happen to her. He treats her almost as one of his own daughters. So the reader can definitely see the connection between Mr. Pirzada and Lilia and their genuine love for one
