The series of election tactics that Dhamu had unleashed caught Khader completely off guard. The craftiness that Dhamu’s men had shown in nominating a Muslim candidate against Khader and funding his entire campaign—thus ensuring that the entire Muslim community rallied behind him—had dealt a death blow to Khader’s aspirations. When he went door to door seeking votes, it became abundantly clear that the women and the elderly in his constituency were deeply sympathetic to Grandpa Peanut. The old man was familiar to them; he’d been welcome in their homes for years. Besides, the children were pestering the adults nonstop to vote for Grandpa Peanut. Women were saying to the old man, “You have been toiling in the hot sun for so many years. You definitely have our votes and our family’s votes, if that’s what it takes to get you out of the sun.” Khader also found out that the women were making secret gifts of money, paddy, and rice to the old man.

This is what Grandpa Peanut said to them when he went door to door asking for votes: “If you want me to be able to afford the same kind of clothes I am wearing today, if you want me to have a little to eat every day, please cast your votes for me. I am getting on in age, and this will at least get me out of the sun. Khader’s still young. If he doesn’t win this, he will soon find some other way to thrive.” Many elderly women challenged Khader to his face: “Why are you ruining this for the old man? He’s struggling to make a living. You expect us to believe you are in the same position?”

Khader encountered some such experience every single day, and it only strengthened his hatred of Dhamu. At one point, he even considered withdrawing his candidacy so he could throw his weight behind the old man and get him to win, if that was what it took to ensure Dhamu’s defeat. But his father-in-law had come to have such animosity toward the old man, Khader couldn’t bring himself to tell him. He also worried that people would think he had dropped out because he was afraid of the old man, and then he’d be disgraced. Moreover, he had received a lot of campaign money from Chairman M. C. Joseph and had already spent a great deal of it. The money had been given to him with the understanding that he would defeat Dhamu. But since he was in no position to return the money, dropping out now would be unjustifiable; it would amount to defrauding Joseph.