Rukmani's life is filled with struggle, yet she remains resolutely optimistic about her future. Married off to a poor rice farmer at the age of 12, Rukmani struggles through loneliness, infertility, starvation, and great loss with persevering optimism. The novel's title, Nectar in a Sieve, refers to nectar, a sweet liquid, and a sieve, a device with meshes that allows liquid to pass through while trapping solids in the device. The title suggests Rukmani's ability to appreciate the short, sweet moments in life before they disappear. During the Deepavali celebration in Chapter 10, for example, Rukmani's family struggles to eat, yet she doles out precious pennies for the children to buy fireworks because "it is only once ... a memory." Similarly, at the end of the novel when she and Nathan have been saving to return to the village, she feels overcome with happiness while at the market with Puli. She buys fried pancakes instead of plain rice cakes and wooden toys for the children: "Well, if we are extravagant it is only once." No matter what suffering comes Rukmani's way, she maintains optimism that life can only get better. She tells Kenny, "Want is our companion from birth to death." Rather than wallow in what's lacking, Rukmani always chooses to look ahead: to the next meal, the next year, or the next harvest.
pon receiving President Trump, I introduced myself and asked how he was doing and whether he had made a good trip. Then I invite you to hear about Munbai's story so that he can better understand, the importance of it and why it is a synonym for pride in the country. He gladly accepted when I started to speak:
"Munbai is an ancient city, dated to 250 BC when it was formed by an archipelago of seven islands ruled by the Silhara dynasty, one of the great names of Hinduism, until 1343. Due to its economic potential, it did not take long for it to attract the attention of European colonialism, which was invaded and controlled by the Portuguese between 1509 and 1668, when it was leased by the United Kingdom and annexed to the British East India Company, which consisted of major architectural works that allowed all the islands to be joined in a single territory.
Although the region had many projects aimed at engineering, it also had a strong agricultural capacity, being the center of cotton during the American civil war, which transformed the local economy and stabilized the market in a grandiose way. The economy improved even more after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, making Munbai the largest port in the Arabian Sea and making it possible for population growth and an admirable quality of life.
With the economy becoming more and more successful, munbai became one of the most influential urban centers in the region which gave strength to the beginning of policies that stabilized the independence movement, which allowed the region to grow without the command of Europeans. Independence was achieved in 1942, after much struggle and perseverance. Since then, the city has only grown, not only economically but also culturally, being the seat of Indian film production. "