When Maxine enters his life, he is still getting used to New York and wants to establish something there (126). Maxine immediately catches his eye at the party, noticing his beauty and she reminds him of Ruth because they "lived in such close proximity like strangers (128)." Nikhil was much more comfortable with Maxine than with Ruth. With Ruth, he had no experience with women, but this time he did, and his outgoing personality made him part of her family almost immediately when she welcomed him into her home on the first date. you (129). Nikhil falls in love with Maxine, something the book never said about Ruth, implying that he was more serious about this relationship than he was with Ruth (137). Maxine helps Nikhil to be more open about his family and his childhood, something that was lacking in his relationship with Ruth, and although he didn't really want to, he eventually let Maxine meet his parents (146). Their relationship ended following the death of Nikhil's father, as Nikhil became mentally unstable. He started spending almost all his time with his mother, when he went to his father's apartment he didn't want Maxine to accompany him (177), and when she tried to help him, he 'rejected (182). Maxine suggests shortly after his death that Nikhil should take the time to run away, and he takes it badly, becoming a