In the basement of the Indian Consulate building in an unnamed city in the United States, a group of people wait to obtain travel visas. Uma Sinha, a graduate student, has been waiting for hours, but seems no closer to her goal. As she waits, she reads Chaucer, wonders if her boyfriend Ramon loves her as much as she loves him, and studies the other people in the room: an older Chinese woman with a teenage granddaughter; an older Caucasian couple; an Indian man about twenty-five years old; and an African American man who appears to be in his fifties. Uma needs a visa to visit her parents, who have returned to India after decades in the United States. They appear to be living a lush lifestyle in India, complete with amenities like servants and a car service. Uma is living with her boyfriend Ramon, a scientist at the university who was not invited on the trip. Uma tries to call Ramon when suddenly a rumble is felt throughout the building. In an instant, the room buckles and chairs and other furniture go flying. The ceiling collapses, the electricity flickers and fails, and the sound of running water can be heard.