In response to these two questions: Where does the animosity between Baby Kochamma and the twins come from? I think that Baby Kochamma just doesn't understand Estha's and Rahel's relationship, and so she is a little bit afraid and jealous, and then she gets upset and happy when they don't speak to eachother. I do not think that Baby's feelings were the same when the twins were young, and I wonder when she changed the way she felt. Do you think Rahel really did see Velutha in the crowd, and why didn't Ammu want her to have seen him? I believe that Rahel really did see Velutha. I just have a feeling, from the way the author wrote the scene. Maybe Velutha didn't want the family to know that he was there, so he hid. Or, maybe Ammu knew something everyone else didn't and didn't want Rahel to point it out.