At first, Sena Uncle didn't want to say anything, but Appa pressed him until he finally told them what had happened. He had set out for Kanthi Aunty's house, following the route Ammachi and Appachi had likely taken. Shortly after he left, however, he noticed a crowd up ahead on the road and smoke rising into the air. The traffic in front of him was too congested and, fearing the worst, he had got out of his car and hurried along the pavement. But he got there too late. The mob had set the car on fire with Ammachi and Appachi inside it.

Appa was silent for a while, then he said, "I must go. I have to see what happened." His voice was strange. "No," Amma said in a panicked voice. "You can't go. It's too dangerous." Now, Appa began to shout, "It's my parents for God's sake. It's my parents who are being burnt." Sena Uncle tried to calm him down but he wouldn't listen. Finally Amma yelled at him, "You have children to think of. If anything happens to you, what will become of them?" Appa became silent.

- "Funny Boy" by Shyam Selvadurai (1994)