As Adela and Aziz explore, Aziz thinks to himself how little interest in a friendship with Adela he has, especially “now that she would marry a British official” (167). Adela is consumed with thoughts of her marriage and preparing herself to not give in to the prejudiced conventions of Anglo-India. She is shocked to realize that she does not love Ronny: “Not even to have asked oneself the question until now!” (168) However, she does not consider breaking off the engagement as it would cause too much social disruption.

She asks Aziz whether he is married. He flippantly lies and says his wife is still alive but away from Chandrapore. Adela considers that he and his wife must be attractive and laments her own physical appearance. She asks if he has multiple wives. The question deeply offends Aziz as he thinks it rude to consider an educated Muslim to be polygamous. He denies having multiple wives but hides the fact that Adela has hurt him with her question. They approach a new area of caves and Aziz immediately goes into one by himself to gain some distance from Adela. Adela enters a different cave, unaware that she has offended Aziz.