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Protagonist "born"
The character known throughout the book as Ram is born, or as he describes it "where I was left on the cold winter night of December 25" (Swarup 35). -
Period: to
Q&A
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Ram Mohommed Thomas adopted
"I was finally adopted by Mrs. Philomena Thomas and her husband, Dominic Thomas" (Swarup 36). -
Meets Salim
"A new boy arrived . . . that was my first meeting with Salim Ilyasi" (Swarup 76-77). -
Ram gets the lucky coin
"I return to the booth. The pandit gives me an old one-rupee coin . . . It's a lucky coin. Keep it. You will need it" (Swarup 81-82). -
Maman adopts Salim and Ram
"Okay prepare the papers for these two. I'll collect them on Monday" (Swarup 85). -
Ram sees Prems face
"He seems vaguely familiar, but I cannot place him. He doesn't even glance at me before he walks down the stairs" (Swarup 224). -
Kargil War
"Indian forces are winning the war, and it is only a matter of days until the enemy surrenders" (Swarup 167). -
Ram's first attempted murder on Shantaram
"I slam into his back, and he slams into the wooden railing, which cannot take his weight" (Swarup 69). -
Ram is hired by the Taylors
"To be fair to the Taylors, though, they have been very kind to me" (Swarup 106). -
Ram kills the robber
"I have a pistol in my hand from which a thin plume of smoke is drifting upward" (Swarup 161). -
Ram meets Nita
"'What is your name?' 'Nita'" (Swarup 261). -
Shankar dies of rabies
"Mrs. Swapna Devi, if this is your palace, and you are its queen, then acknowledge the prince. I have come to deliver the dead body of your son, Kunwar Shankar Singh" (Swarup 286). -
Ram steals from the Palace
"I feel no qualms about stealing from the safe" (Swarup 290). -
Ram works as a waiter in Mumbai
"Jimmy's Bar and Restaurant in Colaba has fading . . . and the best menu in South Mumbai" (Swarup 131-132). -
Salim gets Maman killed
"The only one worth giving. I gave him a glossy eight-by-six photo of Mr. Babu Pillai, and Maman's address!" (Swarup 208). -
Ram enters W3B
"Our first contestant tonight is eighteen-year-old Ram Mohammed Thomas from our very own Mumbai" (Swarup 32). -
Ram holds up Prem
"I have Prem Kumar before me and a loaded gun in my hand" (Swarup 308). -
Ram wins W3B
"Mr. Thomas, you have made history by winning the world's biggest jackpot" (Swarup 312). -
Ram is arrested / tourtured
"I have been arrested. For winning a quiz show" (Swarup 1). -
Ram wins in court
"Smita remained true to her word. She fought for me like a mother fights for her children" (Swarup 315). -
Ram marries Nita
"The love of my life has joined me in Mumbai. She is now my lawfully wedded wife" (Swarup 316). -
Will wrote this whole timeline
"'Hey, you can finish this by 2:30, right?'"