The 'holy man' who gave Santosh's mother his blessings was surprised because in the society where Santosh was born, the birth of a son was regarded as a blessing, and a daughter was not generally welcome. The 'holy man' assumed that Santosh's mother wanted a son, as it was the norm. However, to everyone's surprise, Santosh's grandmother, who was standing close by, told him that they did not want a son.