CU-SEM III-BA-ENGLISH LITERATURE-III

BACHELOR OF ARTS SEM III ENGLISH LITERATURE-III BAQ204

CHANDIGARH UNIVERSITY Institute of Distance and Online Learning Course Development Committee Prof. (Dr.) R.S.Bawa Pro Chancellor, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Punjab Advisors Prof. (Dr.) Bharat Bhushan, Director – IGNOU Prof. (Dr.) Majulika Srivastava, Director – CIQA, IGNOU Programme Coordinators & Editing Team Master of Business Administration (MBA) Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) Coordinator – Dr. Rupali Arora Coordinator – Dr. Simran Jewandah Master of Computer Applications (MCA) Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) Coordinator – Dr. Raju Kumar Coordinator – Dr. Manisha Malhotra Master of Commerce (M.Com.) Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.) Coordinator – Dr. Aman Jindal Coordinator – Dr. Minakshi Garg Master of Arts (Psychology) Bachelor of Science (Travel &Tourism Management) Coordinator – Dr. Samerjeet Kaur Coordinator – Dr. Shikha Sharma Master of Arts (English) Bachelor of Arts (General) Coordinator – Dr. Ashita Chadha Coordinator – Ms. Neeraj Gohlan Academic and Administrative Management Prof. (Dr.) R. M. Bhagat Prof. (Dr.) S.S. Sehgal Executive Director – Sciences Registrar Prof. (Dr.) Manaswini Acharya Prof. (Dr.) Gurpreet Singh Executive Director – Liberal Arts Director – IDOL © No part of this publication should be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording and/or otherwise without the prior written permission of the authors and the publisher. SLM SPECIALLY PREPARED FOR CU IDOL STUDENTS Printed and Published by: TeamLease Edtech Limited www.teamleaseedtech.com CONTACT NO:01133002345 For: CHANDIGARH UNIVERSITY Institute of Distance and Online Learning F

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CONTENTS Unit 1: The Dark Room by R.K. Narayan……………………………………………………3 Unit 2: TUGHLAQ by Girish Karnad ………………………………………………………42 Unit 3:Poetry by Kamala Das………………………………………………………………..77 Unit 4: Poetry by Nissim Ezekiel…………………………………………………………..104 Unit 5: Composition Part 1…………………………………………………………………129 Unit 6: Voice, Simple, Compound and Complex sentences………………………………..161

UNIT - 1: THE DARK ROOM BY R.K. NARAYAN Structure 1.0 Learning Objectives 1.1 Introduction 1.2 The Dark Room 1.3 Summary 1.4 Keywords 1.5 Learning Activity 1.6 Unit End Questions 1.7 Suggested Readings 1.0 LEARNING OBJECTIVES After reading this unit, the student will be able to:  Know the author – R. K. Narayan  Understand and analyse the story ‘The Dark Room’  Analyse the traits of all characters of the story 1.1 INTRODUCTION R. K. Narayan, born as Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami in the year 1906 in the erstwhile city of Madras. He was a prominent author of early Indian literature in English. His work is mostly set in the fictional town of Malgudi, in southern part of India. He is considered to be one of the most original writers of the country in the 20th century. His father was a provincial headmaster and encouraged his children towards studies. He spent part a major part of his childhood under the guardianship of his maternal grandmother and an Uncle since his mother did not keep in good health. His grandmother taught him many subjects like mathematics, classical Indian music, mythology and Sanskrit. Though Narayan did not like attending his school, he loved reading English literature. His favorite authors included Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy and Arthur Conan Doyle.

At the age of 12 years, he participated in a march for independence of India. Later, his family reprimanded him for his participation in the same. During his early years, he attended the Christian Mission School. He learned to love the Hindu Gods during this time, and the reason for the same was that the Christian chaplain made fun of them. He was educated at the Maharaja’s College situated in Mysore. Later to pursue his Masters, he was unable to clear the entrance exam, but got admitted in the university. He decided not to pursue the same since he was more inclined towards writing and not schooling. He started taking up various writing jobs like articles for small journals and also, freelance literary work. He submitted his own written literary pieces to publishers in England, but the same were not accepted. His friend and mentor Graham Greene played a pivotal role in finding publishers for early works of Narayan, including the trilogy of Swami and Friends. On leaving college in the year 1934, he started working as teacher in a small village school. He liked easy environment at his school and realized that he could dedicate more time towards writing. In the same year, the author got married. However, his wife, Rajam, died due to typhoid in the year 1939. Together, they had one daughter, Hema. He never remarried after the death of his wife. Before taking up writing as his full-time career, he tried working as a teacher, an editorial assistant and also, a newspaperman. He commenced his writing career with writing about the fictional characters – Swami and Friends in the year 1935. Though his early works were not commercial success, his popularity gradually rose. His stories of characters in the town of Malgudi captivated the attention of readers and reminded them of Indianness with distinctive characters. His writing style resonates simplicity and subtle humor. His stories celebrate the lives of ordinary people and their routine lives. His writings have social context that make them well-accepted. In his books, he created a small south Indian fictional city of Malgudi. Many critics have compared his literary microcosm with that of the Yoknapatawpha County created by William Faulkner in his writings. R. K. Narayan has written various novels and short stories set in this fictional town of Malgudi.

His second novel titled “Bachelor of Arts” was published in the year 1939. It also marked the starting of his immense reputation in England. His novelist friend, Graham Greene was essentially responsible for getting his books published. Greene claimed that the author Narayan was \"his most admired novelist in the English language.\" R. K. Narayan’s fourth novel was titled “The English Teacher” and was published in the year 1945. It had elements of his autobiography. The theme of this book revolved around the struggle of a teacher to cope with the death of his ailing wife. In the year 1953, this same book was published by the Michigan State University the title “Grateful to Life and Death”. This book together with his novel titled “The Financial Expert” were among the first of his books published in the United States. His subsequent novels which were published under the titles – “Mr. Sampath”, “Waiting for the Mahatma”, “The Guide”, “The Man-eater of Malgudi” and “The Vendor of Sweets” created impeccable reputation for the author, Narayan in the Western countries. Various literary critics considered his book titled as “The Guide”, which was published in the year 1958, to be a masterpiece. The story of Guide was expressed in a complex series of flashbacks of a tourist guide, wherein he seduces the wife of one of his clients, prospers and lands up in jail. Like most of his stories, it was based in the fictional town of Malgudi, in Southern India. The novel describes the makeover of the protagonist, Raju a tour guide to a spiritual guide. The protagonist is Railway Raju (alias Raju) is a corrupt tour guide, who is popular amongst tourists. He falls in love with the wife of a famous archaeologist, Marco who is visiting the town of Malgudi, as a tourist. Marco’s wife is a beautiful dancer, named Rosie. Marco does not like his wife’s passion for dancing. However, Raju encourages her to pursue her passion and follow her dreams. On the insistence of Raju, Rosie starts her dancing career. During the process of starting her career, both Raju and Rosie become close to each other and start a relationship. Once their relationship is known to Marco, Rosie’s husband, he deserts her and returns to Madras alone. Rosie continues to live in Malgudi and does not go back to Madras.

After Marco leaves Rosie, she feels lonely and starts living with Raju before they got married. This live-in relationship is not approved by the mother of Raju. If we look back at the story line and the time when it was written, we realize that the author, Narayan was extremely progressive. He expressed live-in relationship in his book during the time it was impossible to even think about it. He was a radical in his thoughts. Even in today’s times, live-in relationship may have not received societal acceptance in cities, which are not metros and other places. Here, the author has normalized a live-in relationship in a small town of Malgudi in the 1960s. Coming back to the story line – Subsequently, Raju turns into the manager for Rosie. He manages his bookings and career. With his marketing tactics, soon Rosie’s career skyrockets and she becomes a very successful dancer. However, with time. Raju’s ego is inflated sense and he tries to control Rosie’s life. Raju turns greedy for her wealth and starts charging exorbitantly for her performances. Later, Raju is charged with the crime of forgery for falsely faking the signature of Rosie. He gets imprisoned for a term of two years, even though Rosie tries her best to save him. After completing the sentence, once Raju is let out from the prison, he is mistaken for a sadhu (a spiritual guide) when he passes through a village called Mangal. Raju had made up his mind for not returning to Malgudi after his disgraceful exit from the town. This transformation into a saint at Mangal gives Raju the much-needed second lease of life. He chooses to stay in an abandoned temple near the village and deceive the villagers with his new role. He enacts the role of a Sadhu – saint meticulously and perfectly delivers sermons to the villagers. He even solves their day to day problems and disputes with his charm and wit. The village, Mangal soon faces a famine due to drought conditions. The anxious villagers turned towards Raju for guidance and support. In their superstitious beliefs, they ask Raju to fast until the Gods are convinced and it rains in the village. Confused with the entire situation and not finding any solution to the same, Raju confesses his entire truth about his past to a fellow villager named Velan. It was Velan, who had initially discovered Raju in the temple, when he had just entered the village Mangal. Like other villagers, Velan also developed complete faith in him and his spiritual guidance. The confession made by Raju does not bring a change in the resolve of Velan. Eventually, Raju decides to attempt the fast to keep the faith of villagers.

The media houses in the vicinity start to publicize the fast undertaken by Raju. A huge crowd of devotees gather to watch Raju undergo fasting. Raju resents the whole scenario. On the morning of the 11th day of fasting, when Raju visits the riverside as part of his daily routine, he is overwhelmed by the feeling that it has started raining in the hills in the distance. Raju he sags down in water. The author, Narayan has left the interpretation of ending of the novel to the readers. There is no clear answer as whether Raju survives or dies when he enters water. Also, there is no clarity whether it rained in the village, Mangal. Are we all not facing such impostors in our real lives when we have moved in a new century even? The world around us is full of fake people, who make others believe in what they are saying or doing and become leaders. Herds of followers then start following these leaders, who have no real skills or qualifications as regards what they are claiming. If we look back, then we realise that the authors like Narayan have touched the deep rooted issues of superstitions and deep rooted beliefs in such a distinct and detailed manner that we can observe the same issues even today. We together as an Indian society have not been able to rise above from these social issues. This book was adopted in to a Bollywood movie with the same name – “The Guide”, which was released in the year 1965. This movie garnered immense popularity. It was directed by Vijay Anand and starred Dev Anand as Raju and Waheeda Rehman as Rosie. The music of this movie was composed by S. D. Burman. Few songs of this movie are remain well- admired even today. In the Hollywood, a 120-minute movie was released in the same storyline. It was written by the famous Pearl S. Buck. The movie was directed and produced by Tad Danielewski. In the year 2007, this movie was screened at the Cannes Film Festival, which was approximately 42 years after the release of this movie. The same novel was adapted into a play in the year 1968. It was also mentioned in the William Goldman book The Season: A Candid Look at Broadway. Thus, the works of Narayan are greatly admired not in India also, but also other jurisdic tions.

It is fascinating to know a fun fact about the author, Narayan that he generally wrote for an hour or two in a day, wherein he composed at a very fast speed, often up to 2,000 words. His writing seldom required correcting or rewriting. The writing style of Narayan turned the mundane into extraordinary. His stories usually commenced with realistic settings and routine happenings in the lives of a cross-section of our society, with persons of all classes. With fate or chance, oversight or blunder, the mundane got transformed in to unbelievable happenings. In his writings, unexpected disasters transpired with the hero and also, the unanticipated good fortune. People accepted their destinies like Savitri in the Dark Room and also, somehow believed that the future will be better than what they have left behind, like Shanta Bai – also, in the Dark Room. The radical ways in which society changed and accepted the westernized values and attitudes, combined with bureaucratic institutions, was true only in the town of Malgudi. Because this town, is not like any other town, it is an institution in itself. Even in the later years, the author, Narayan continued to set his stories in the town of Malgudi like his novels titled the “The Painter of Signs”, which was published in the year 1976 and “A Tiger for Malgudi”, published in the year 1983. This book revolved around a tiger, which is being lead to enlightenment by his holy master. His 14th novel titled as “Talkative Man’, which was published in the year 1987, received mixed response from the readers. At the age of 80s, Narayan continued publishing books. He even returned to his original inspiration for writing, his grandmother. In the year 1994, he published a book titled “Grandmother's Tale and Other Stories”. It was a collection of short stories spread over a period of 50 years. This book is considered to be one of his finest works and an example of great story telling. His writing career spread over 60 years wherein he received many awards and honors in India and also outside India. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in the year 1964 and the Padma Bhushan in the year 2001, which are respectively the second and third highest civilian awards of the country. He was also conferred the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, the highest honour of India's national academy of letters in the year 1994.

He was an honorary member of the (British) Royal Society of Literature and was awarded the AC Benson Medal in the year 1980. He was elected an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters in the year 1982. Further to be noted that he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature at multiple instances, but was never awarded it. Narayan was conferred honorary doctorates by the University of Leeds in the year 1967, Delhi University in the year 1973 and the University of Mysore in the year 1976. He was also nominated to the Rajya Sabha for his contributions to Indian literature for a six-year term which commenced in the year 1989. A list of his popular novels with year of publication are as under:  Swami and Friends (1935)  The Bachelor of Arts (1937)  The Dark Room (1938)  The English Teacher (1945)  Mr. Sampath (1949)  The Financial Expert (1952)  The Guide (1958)  The Man Eater of Malgudi (1961)  The Vendor of Sweets (1967)  The Painter of Signs (1977)  A Tiger for Malgudi (1983)  Talkative Man (1986) He has also written five collections of short stories, collections of essays, commentaries on the Indian epics, and a memoir, My Days.

1.2 THE DARK ROOM The Dark Room was a novel written in the year 1938. Unlike the other writings of the author, which are light reads, filled with humor and centered on childhood, this one takes a different route altogether. It portrays the struggles of a married Indian woman, Savitri to come to terms with her dilemma as the wife of an adulterous man, Ramani. She has survived the traumatic marriage for more than 15 years. Savitri has led an extremely unhappy life with her husband, who only abuses her and their 3 children. Out of despair, she leaves the house to attempt to commit suicide. She is rescued. This gives her strength to lead an independent life. Soon, she heads back to the home and face her life. This book presents indepth struggles of Savitri – as a wife, mother and specifically a woman in the society. The author details her crisis of identity and how with her grit and determination, she overcomes the crisis in her life. This story portrays the real life struggles of a married women in an ordinary household disturbed by domestic conflict. As the beginning, the readers are introduced to a Tamil middle-class family of 5, comprising of the husband - Ramani, his wife - Savitri and their children, namely Babu (13 years of age), Sumati (11 years of age) and Kamala (5 years of age). The story is set in southern India in the fictional town of Malgudi in the 1930s and gives a glimpse of their lives. The husband, Ramani, works for an insurance company and wife takes care of the house and kids. He is the secretary in a company named Engladia Insurance Company located in the town of Malgudi. The husband’s income helps to support the family and hire two house helps. Ramani controls the household as a tyrant and ensures that his word is considered law of the house. He takes undue advantage of being the man of the house. We are shown the real patriarchal side of Indian society which gives all to privileges a man for being a man and not any other reason.

The author gives us a peek into the daily routine of the Ramani’s house. No person in the house is happy with his presence as his mood swings tend to affect everyone. Only when he leaves for his work, the other members of the family can be themselves. The family members feel relieved in his absence and dread his arrival back home towards the evening. Ramani is depicted as that head of the family who controls each and every member’s moments. He himself is not accountable for his actions or reactions. He ensures that all his needs are given priority at all the times. Though he is not depicted as violent as other contemporary men residing in the same town, he is cruel in a known manner. The author does not describe Ramani as the “master”, but his actions are much closer to one. He treats all other relationships as that of a master and servant relationship. He has very unpredictable behavior and illogical demands. He is unhappy if at the moment of his arrival at the house, the garage door is not opened within seconds. He does not care for the fact that his time of arrival is never the same, but random, and cannot be predicted by any other family member. Savitri is the trophy wife of Ramani. He treats her as his property. She does not have any say in any decisions or matters. He is content to merely show off her presence to audience, like any other precious good, say, a solitaire. He is extremely proud of her presence specially when in public, but is never vocal about it. He does not treat her with any respect or equality, which a wife deserves truly. She is entirely left to function at the whims and fancies of Ramani to the extent that she is completely dependent on him for her basic needs – food, clothing and shelter. In real sense, the author has denoted the real plight of a house wife, who does not have any money of her own and is completely devoid of any choices. This dilemma is faced even in the current scenario by millions. Savitri is an attractive lady with fair skin and beautiful facial features. She is submissive to her husband, Ramani. During one of their outings as husband and wife, the author describes in detail that Savitri wears sky-blue sari, which gives her an even more prominent appearance. With her pleasing personality at his side, Ramani sits erect in his first-class seat. He looks at her with a sense of pride and possession. It is not love that he feels but superiority. He enjoys it more when other people present in the theatre glare at her. This increases his gratification more.

Ramani enjoys immense power due to his position as head of the family. He has neither earned that respect nor deserves it. He is characterized as an impulsive and cruel man. He imposes his decisions and views on others only because of his position. Though in a subservient manner, Savitri tries to oppose the behavior of Ramani towards her children, she fails at the same since Ramani acts as a dictator even in his role as father of his 3 children. In one such cases, Ramani forces the son – Babu to attend his school in spite of not feeling well due to fever. When Savitri resists this decision of her husband, he hurls abuses towards her and asks her to look after only the kitchen chores. He claims that she, being a woman, cannot comment towards training he is providing to their son. After a long strenuous 15 years of married life, Savitri feels worn-out of her routine life as a housewife, who is not allowed to enjoy her household or take decisions for the same. She gains no contentment in running her household. She is exhausted due to mundane chores. She feels that her only function is to cook meals and do tasks related to the same. She does not like being diminished to the stature of only a cook for the family. At the same time, even for food related arrangements, she is blamed by her husband Ramani if he does not like any food that he is served. He does not like delay of few moments also if he is seated at the table. His verbal insults are a regular feature. He is a very finicky man, who goes to extent of pointing out that salt used in cucumber salad is waste of money. Savitri does not answer back to her husband after the accusations. If she tries to offer any explanations for his queries, then she is shushed by Ramani. He even accuses her of not being able to manage their domestic help, named Ranga. The ‘Dark Room’ wherein the name of the book is derived, is the only room where Savitri feels at ease during her tough times. She regularly finds her family to be a burden and returns to the dark room to find solace. She yearns for her me-time and feels that it is extremely important for her to rejuvenate. Her husband and children are unable to appreciate her me- time and are inept at recognizing her needs for the time out.

The author also introduces us to a couple of female friends of Savitri – Gangu and Janamma. These friends represent the other contemporary women of her society. Both are married women and follow the traditional submissive roles of a wife. Different in their personalities, they are still tied to their husbands and families like Savitri or for that matter any other married Indian woman. Gangu is uninhibited in her approach and is an independent woman. She is married to the school master and is mother to her four children. The author depicts her as an eccentric woman. Her husband, who is a scholar, does not dominate or restrict her. Unlike the other husband’s mention in this book, Gangu’s husband is open-minded. He educates her on rights and values of a woman. Gangu has freedom to go anywhere at any time as per her wishes. Her husband does not bind her to the house or its chores. He supports her in all her decisions. He encourages her to work and carve her own identity, which is quite rare in the times in this story is set. Gangu is motivated to represent the town of Malgudi as a delegate in the Women’s Conference. Her freedom leads to jealous attitude of many other women towards her. Even her close friend Janamma is envious of this freedom. Gangu is extremely loyal to her husband and is devoted to him. She does not have any immoral intentions. Savitri is not happy with the free-spirited thinking of Gangu, but she finds her conversations very interesting since Gangu has no inhibitions. Savitri is fascinated by her, but not influenced by her thoughts. Even with her open-mindedness, Gangu is a very religious lady. She often visits temples and other religious places. Savitri particularly likes this quality of Gangu. On the other hand, Janamma is typical and orthodox and wife like other women in Malgudi. She cannot imagine to oppose her husband or argue with him. She considers her husband to be the sole master of the house, who is always right in all his decisions. She feels that her husband can never do any mistake. She is meek to the extent that she does not question her husband’s mistresses on any occasion. She is of the opinion that being an obedient wife is her basic duty towards her husband. During any family crisis or discords faced by her friends, Janamma supports them and urges them to follow the traditional role of a wife.

Janamma is not treated well by her husband, however, she is happy in her stature as a slave to her husband. Though Savitri relies on the advice of her friend Janamma, she does not think on the same lines of obedience. Savitri is clearly very different in her thoughts from bother her friends – Gangu as well as Janamma. Savitri had the intellect to raise questions related to patriarchy. On the other hand, both Gangu and Janamma accepted the available reasons and lived in their own worlds. This contrast provided by the author gives the readers a better understanding of the patriarchy present in the society and the stature of a wife in the eyes of society. Wife was conditioned to be a second role as compared to that of a husband. There was no thought of equality or equal participation in family matters. The author has clearly chosen Savitri to be the protagonist of the book. She is a truly obedient wife, who is restricted within the four walls of her house and taking care of children alone. Her motherhood is the defining characteristic and not her womanhood. Her role as a wife has also taken a back seat as her children are her priority. She is left at the mercy of her self- obsessed husband. She is entangled in the web of routines of domestic life, which alienate her from husband and children. At many occasions, the erratic behavior of Ramani is exposed, which show the extent of domestic troubles in their house. One such incident occurs on Navratri, when the electricity of the whole house gets conks off. Savitri was a very traditional and religious lady. She celebrated all the Indian festivals in a devout manner at the house. During the festival of Navaratri, various clay dolls of Gods, Goddesses, animals, people, etc. (called Golus) were arranged on steps made out of wooden boards. Everyone in the family enthusiastically participated in the decoration and other festivities. Ramani was never interested in the celebrations of festivals. Babu, their son, who did not have full knowledge of electric connections, added few extra lights to beautify the dolls. But in the evening, the house plunged into darkness because of an electric connection made by Babu to the pavilion of dolls as it blew a fuse. When Ramani returns home from his office and gets to know of the reason behind the darkness, he screams and shouts at everyone. Her hurls abuses towards Babu and thrashes his

son very badly. Savitri, being a mother, could not witness the thrashing and tries to protect their son. She questions Ramani for beating him. Due to her helplessness to protect her son in this situation, she is shattered and enters the dark room as she cannot take any other action. This is the first time the author introduces the ‘dark room’ in the story. This room has no light, amenities or any special feature and is next to the store room of the house. It is only a place for her thoughts and not for any activity. Savitri retorts to this dark room whenever she feels helpless with her routine. If we look at the presence of a dark room, we find a reference to it in the mythology as well. In Ramayana, we have read about a Kop Bhavan (a Sulking Chamber). It is more like a dark room of this story. This kop bhavan comes to light in Ramayana when the Queen Kaikayi enters it and refuses to come out even at the insistence of King Dashrath. She was furious at the King for choosing Lord Rama as the next King of Ayodhya over her son – Shatraughan. She refused to leave this dark room of hers. It was only after the King Dashrath promised her that he will agree to 2 of her demands that she will withdraw from this room. Her demands were – 14 years of exile from Ayodhya for Lord Rama and Kinghsip for Shatrughan. It was these demands which changed the course of story in the epic Ramayana. As individuals, we may also have a specific place where we find solace and can stay undisturbed with our thoughts. In unique cases, the dark room may only manifest in our minds and not physically. This dark room represents the state of helplessness faced by Savitri and in a way it is her revolt against the inhumane nature of her husband, Ramani. She kept sulking in that room for hours or even days. She did not care for her appearance at all. She did not comb her hair or took bath. She did not eat for days together. In that room, she was lost in her trail of thoughts. She felt helpless and reflected on her destiny. She suffered in this sordid state. When Savitri spent her days and nights it did not affect her husband. He did not bother to check how she was feeling or why was she inside that room. He expressed that no person is indispensable. During the days of absence of Savitri, Ramani himself ordered the cook to prepare the food and never bothered about his wife. He was kind with his children in the absence of Savitri. He did not even once try to empathize with her and thought of her behavior as tantrums. He would leave for his work without talking her out of the dark room.

Their daughters were compassionate towards Savitri. At such occasions, they asked for help from Janamma to convince their mother to come out of the dark room. It was only conversations with Janamma regarding the attitude of men that Savitri was persuaded to come out of the dark room. After she left the dark room, it was life as usual for her and she would returned to her household chores. In the current story, the whole situation is further worsened once Savitri realizes that her husband, Ramani is infatuated towards a new girl hired at his office, named Shanta Bai. The delicate balance at the house gets shattered. The changes in behaviour of Ramani fuels her anger. Savitri retorts with resistance, which gradually grows turns her in a rebel. She starts grieving her fate as being a woman. She feels dejected and starts expressing her negative feelings towards Ramani. She even launches strong arguments towards him and questions his attitude towards her. She mulls over the structure of patriarchal society on India. She wonders the reasons behind the male dominance and their strong to ensure that the women around them are restricted to the whims and fancies of closest male relatives, ranging from father, husband or son. She ponders over thoughts of always being ordered by the male at different ages – by her father before her marriage and husband after she got married. She even wonders if it will be her son once she grows older and the son will assume the position of head of the family. She reasons her lack of financial independence as the male dominance faced by her. She also understands the gender biasness of the society. In one incident, her son Babu, who studies in a better college as compared to her girls since he is a boy and is entitled for being a boy. In another incident, Babu remarks that his sisters - Kamla and Sumati are silly because they are girls. He even claims that they cannot comprehend Hollywood (or English) movies only because they are girls. Savitri understands this gender discrimination against her girls and superiority, which Babu feels being a boy. Further, Ramani also recommends docile behaviors for his girls so that they turn out to be a good lady. He even scolds Babu for crying like a girl. He expresses that to behave like a boy, he must not cry, as it is meant only for girls.

Savitri mulls over her lack of education – college degree, which could have been a stepping stone towards her chance of a job and earning her livelihood. She makes mental promise to her daughters that she will ensure that her daughters study well so that they can have freedom of choice and that the sole reason for getting married is not survival. This story, though set in the 1930s illustrates various dilemmas which are faced even by the married women of today. At present also, after the financial freedom which a married lady might have achieved, yet she faces patriarchy at her house and add to it the work place. The married women may be able to chart a successful career in her profession. However, at the home front, she is expected to fulfill all her responsibilities of taking care of the house, kitchen and children. She is projected as a super human being who must do exceedingly well at all the fronts. She does not have the freedom to choose only that one aspect of her life – profession or home, in which she may want to thrive. On the other hand, the married men are expected to only take care of the monetary responsibilities of the family. They do not face the burden of being an equal participant at the home front. The patriarchy present today may not show the crude side of a man like Ramani, but that dictatorship is far from over. We listen to stories of domestic violence around us on a regular basis. We do have a long way to give Savitri the freedom she desires. Though we do talk about feminism, but we are not able to make people aware that feminism does not grant any extra rights to women. Feminism only means providing equal opportunities and rights to women. During her dark thoughts, Savitri finds her position as wife to be worse than that of a prostitute. She feels humiliation at the hands of her husband and feels that even a prostitute has freedom of choice and financial gains. Even after her numerous lows, Savitri tries to win her husband back from the claws of the other lady – Shanta Bai. In order to do so, Savitri dresses up to look attractive and attempts to seduce her husband so that he desires her as much as he did during the initial days of their marriage. She does not comprehend that the ship of passion has sailed away from their relationship. She tries to hold on to the old memories and is shattered when she realizes that those moments will never come back for both of them. She is devastated when her attempts to save the marriage fail terribly. After all her challenges to make Ramani understand her plight, she gets furious and loses her temper when Ramani attempts to initiate physical relations with her. She has a breakdown

and her suppressed anger comes to the surface. In this emotional turmoil, Savitri deserts her house with the intent of committing suicide. She reaches the river Sarayu and leaps into it. By sheer luck, a blacksmith, named Mari, who was also a burglar was crossing the river at the same time at the same place. He sees her jumping into the river and rescues her. She is saved by the brave act of this man. After her rescue, Savitri decides to lead her life in a nearby temple of that village. In mere 2 days, the thoughts of her children suffering at the hands of her husband and the freedom his mistress might have achieved overwhelm her. She decides to return home. On her arrival at home, the children are extremely happy to have their mother back. The domestic help present in the house are left to wonder that why did she come back. Ramani, on the other hand, pretends to be ignorant of her presence and does not show any good behavior towards Savitri. Consequently, Savitri finds herself facing the same dilemma from which had tried to escape. Before the arrival of the mistress – Shanta Bai, the author led us to believe that Savitri is a regular housewife. She has the authority to run her household. She may appear to be not in tune with the short temperedness of her husband, but she has accepted the same and learnt to live with it. Savitri does not have any questions from life before Shanta Bai enters her personal space. Savitri endures the regular verbal reprimands from her husband, Ramani for the household chores. She herself then acts like Ramani to their domestic helps. She scolds them on a regular basis for any irregularity which may have caused a fit of anger in Ramani. Her outbursts are directed towards the servants as she cannot direct them towards anyone else. She ensures that the cook follows her recipe to the t and is not allowed to make any changes to it. She overworks the domestic helps when she finds them lazing in their work. These actions show that Savitri enacts her role as ‘lady of the house’ in a perfect fashion. To the extent, that even Ramani scolds their domestic helps more in case he finds anything distasteful. It is the monotony of this routine life at Malgudi which eventually disturbs Savitri. She is already unhappy with her plight at her house. She does not like the fact she has been reduced to be just a cog in the wheel. She constantly worries about the tantrums of Ramani and their impact on her kids. She is burdened by the thoughts about the future of her children.

Amidst all the chaos of her daily life, she finds joy in spending time with her two friends – Gangu and Janamma. They are her only social life away from her household chores. With no other indulgences or hobbies, Savitri frequently questions her existence. She is different from both her friends, who have accepted their respective standing – freedom and no freedom. Savitri, on the other hand, is only complying with her role as a house wife. She cannot go out of the house like Gangu. She cannot accept her husband’s mistresses like Janamma. So, Savitri is left with her own thoughts and puzzled if her existence is left only to fend the stomachs of her family. She is not content with her current life as it seems that whatever she is doing is out of compulsion. She has no free will in any matters. It was a chance conversation with Ramani that she started getting worried about the happenings in office during the day. On his return home, one evening Ramani enquired about a spare cot which they had at the house. This cot was required to set up a guest room in the office. Savitri questioned Ramani regarding the need to use their cot in the office. She suggested that the office money should be used to buy the furniture required for the office and not the one which belongs to them. Ramani has come in contact with a young female probationers at the office, named Shanta Bai. She was hired to do canvassing for life insurance policies specifically for women. During the interview, Mrs. Shanta Bai revealed to Ramani that she belonged to Mangalore. She had deserted her alcoholic husband as she could no longer stand the abuse. Ramani was immediately drawn to her charm and beauty. Shanta Bai was not interest in him during that interview. On the other hand, Ramani went out of his way to make Shanta Bai feel comfortable. He knew that she was a single lady living on her own. Ramani was enthralled by this determination of Shanta Bai. As a matter of fact, he could not let his wife, Savitri take a stand for herself or their children, but here, he admired the courage of Shanta Bai. In a manner, it was this disobedience of the existing patriarchal order by Shanta Bai which floored Ramani during the first meeting they had – the job interview at office. Shanta Bai has candidly admitted that her family would have restricted her career and she would have never come for the job interview.

The author has left it to the presumption that Shanta Bai has no family or relationships tied to her. She has moved away not only from her husband, but also has cut ties with parents, siblings and everyone else in her family. Shanta Bai charmed Ramani with her fair complexion, enchanting personality and fascinating story, which broke all societal norms. Ramani never cross-checked her part of the story. So, the readers are not aware if it was all true or if Shanta Bai was making it all up to get hired for this job and gain financial independence. While Shanta Bai draws attention with her free-spiritedness, she does not care about the marital status of Ramani. She tries to focus only on her personal ambitions. She is not perturbed by anything else which happens in the office. Ramani is more attracted to Shanta Bai when he perceives this attitude. She uses her feminity to her advantage. She is self- indulgent and is not bothered about the societal norms. She is like a whiff of fresh air in the stale atmosphere of the town of Malgudi. Shanta Bai is ambitious and does not shy away from professing her choices. She dreams of owning a Baby Austin (the most popular car of the times). She is rebel in her own cause as she chose to abandon her husband and her family. She enjoys her freedom and sets goals for herself. Unlike other contemporary women of the society, who are drowned in the responsibilities of their families, Shanta Bai has dared to enter a new arena. She has dared to dream and carve a niche for herself. She is vocal of her desires and wants to materialistic belongings for herself. The behavior of Ramani with Shanta Bai is in dire contrast is with how he behaves with Savitri at home. The hypocrisy reflected by Ramani is appalling. With Shanta Bai, Ramani acts like a lovable, warm hearted and caring person. He acts to take care of all her needs and comforts. Additionally, as a superior to Shanta Bai, he is not strict towards her. He tries to help her in possible manner – by reducing her probationary period and increasing her stipend. Ramani does not hurl any abuses towards her or loses his temper as he does with Savitri. He is cool as a cucumber and extremely poilte. On a holistic comparison of this afore-said behavior in terms of his behavior with Savitri and his family, Ramani appears to be a double-faced fraud. With Savitri and their family, Ramani

is cruel and autocratic. He only makes the lives of family members miserable. He never tries to help anyone. He does not care about Savitri when she enters the dark room. The author has termed Ramani’s erratic behavior as that of a fraudulent man. This is true picture of inherent hypocrisy of the Indian middle class men. As a matter of fact, such double standard are present even today. We do come across such men, who dominate and restrict their own wives and applaud the career growth of other married women in their offices. We know such men, who have double standards when it comes to the freedoms given to wife as compared to that of his own sister. In this story, the double standards are evident in the actions of Ramani when he provides a room in the office for Shanta Bai to stay as he did not want her to stay in a hotel due to security concerns. He was even ridiculed by office staff for showering extra concern on Shanta Bai, but it did not deter him from doing so. From his own house, he got the spare cot, vessels, a chair and also, Savitri’s favorite – teakwood bench. He continued helping Shanta Bai in possible extent so that her interests in Ramani elevates and lead to an illicit affair. Savitri soon realized that her husband is infatuated towards this other woman – Shanta Bai. She tried her best efforts to ensure that she looks attractive enough for her husband. She starts dressing up well at the time of arrival of her husband so that he notices her beauty. She starts protesting his actions like setting up the spare cot in the office for Shanta Bai, moving Savitri’s favorite piece of furniture to office – the teakwood bench, etc. Ramani refuses to listen to his wife. Savitri starts to hear rumors about his illicit affair soon. The final nail in the coffin struck when Gangu confirmed the illicit affair between Ramani and Shanta Bai to Savitri. She becomes more resentful and curses her destiny. She is shattered when her efforts of winning back her husband seem to fail at all levels. Ramani starts to return home very late at nights from the office since he likes to spend more time with Shanta Bai, who is living in the office only. Ramani has no time for the kids also. Savitri grows more suspicious when Ramani does not return home at night.

She gets into a huge argument with her husband, Ramani following these incidents. She tries to persuade Ramani to leave his mistress and concentrate on their family life. In his typical fit of rage, Ramani refuses to listen to her and asks her to leave the house. Disappointed with her fate and her husband’s behavior, Savitri decides to leave the house for once and all. It was the first instant when she steps out of the house late in the night. She contemplates that she has no place to go. She cannot go back to her father’s house as her parents may not understand her stance. She does not want to burden them with her issues. She cannot leave with her friends – Gangu or Janamma. She does not have any other place to leave. She does not have any financial independence. She is so disappointed that she attempts to commit suicide. She jumps into the River Sarayu to end her life. It was at that time that she is rescued by Mari, who takes her to his village. Back at this house, Ponni, the wife of Mari, took care of Savitri. Ponni welcomes her pleasantly. She does not question about the problem faced by Savitri. Ponni is not a talkative lady to grill Savitri about her status or family problems. She appears to be a very caring lady who extends all the help she could to make Savitri feel better. Savitri is contended in the company of Ponni. She finds Ponni very different in her attitude from her two friends back at home – Gangu and Janamma. Though Ponni has no children, she is happy in her marriage. Ponni tries to help Savitri by finding a way to earn her livelihood as per the wishes of Savitri since Savitri does not want to live on the charity of Mari and Ponni. Savitri has an interesting conversation with Ponni when she reaches their house after Mari rescues her from the river. Savitri asks Ponni if Mari was her husband and if she really likes him. Ponni only smiles back at Savitri. When Savitri questions how Ponni would react if she gains knowledge that her husband has started an affair with another woman and neglected her. Listening to this absurd accusation, she suspiciously looks at her husband and asks if he had been doing something fishy. Mari answers negatively and questions Savitri that why did she ask this from his wife, Ponni? Understanding the predicament of her rescuers, Savitri clears the air by explaining that she is not accusing Mari of any adultery. She is only asking Ponni only to imagine such a situation

and persisted for an answer. Ponni authoritatively dared her husband to try having an affair and then he would see the consequences of his actions. On listening to her confident response, Savitri feels weaker. She murmurs and meekly responds as to what could she do. She felt enslaved in her marriage for 15 long years. She listened to her husband, who dominated all her actions. She took care of her 3 children and raised them almost single-handedly. She felt helpless when her husband started having an affair with a lady appointed in his office. She felt rejected when Ramani asked her to leave the house. This helplessness drove her to take the extreme step of suicide. The author has depicted Savitri as the victim of patriarchy, who was marred by her fate. She did not get any answers to the questions she raises against patriarchy and her stature as a married woman in the society. After the failed attempt to suicide, Savitri was adamant to become independent and self- reliant. She wanted to work for herself and not depend on Mari and Ponni for her living. Her stubbornness is to the extent that she refuses to eat or drink anything at the house of Mari and Ponni. She asserts that she would eat something only after she earns it on her own. With the help of Ponni, she got a job in a near-by temple to clean idols of the Gods. At the temple, she felt at the mercy of an old priest, who like Ramani now gives her directions about the work to be done. In return of the work, she gets a half cup of rice and a quarter coin on a daily basis. With her first earning in the lifetime, Savitri feels overjoyed. This was the first time ever that she did not have to depend on any other person for her food or survival. She felt relieved and independent. It was at night when she was all alone in a small dark room adjacent to the temple, that she started feeling helpless again. She was again swept in to her ocean of thoughts. She felt that from one dark room, she has been thrown into another dark room. It was quite unbelievable for her to have revolted against her husband by walking out from their house. She was burdened with the guilt of having abandoned her three children at the house. As a mother, she was worried about her children would coping up. Her thoughts kept looming around her children only. This room she now lived in reminded her of the dark room

back at the house. She felt miserable for her decision. She was ready to forget all her husband’s misdeeds and insults against the desire to be re-united with her children. At that same moment, she decided to go back to her husband Ramani’s house at Malgudi. The author has emphasized on the universal issue of motherhood. Once a woman delves into motherhood, there is no turning back. Consciously or not, all the thoughts of a mother always revolve around her children. A mother can go to any extent for the safety and security of her child. She will stop caring for herself but only bother about the well-being of her child. The mother will forget her self-respect if it means a better future of her child. This issue is true at present also. The journey of motherhood is not an easy one. The extent a mother can go for happiness of her children is unfathomable. With this ending of going back to her household, Savitri does not appear weak as a woman, but a strong mother. She as a wife had accepted her husband’s flaws and leaved with them for years. She even succumbed to pressure of committing suicide when she found that her marriage had failed and she saw no turning point. However, her return to the house for her children is a resilient step in her life. She seems to have accepted that her life will not be happy without her kids. Savitri is broken by her inner conflicts after she had left the house. She was not happy with herself even after having earned her financial independence. Further, Savitri was disturbed by the attitude of the male priest at the temple who molested her. She was did not like working in a place which was dominated by male Brahmin priests. She felt a strong urge to go back to her children. Her biggest worry was her daughters whom were left to fend for themselves at home. She realizes that she was not keeping up with the promises she had made to herself regarding the future of her daughters. She gets more restless with each passing day and finally decides to go back home. The inevitability of her destiny and the pointlessness of her leaving the house. She returns to house and the same dark room. She observes that nothing has changed in the house. Ramani is happier and triumphed with her return, although he does not express it directly. He considers the return of his wife as his own victory. There is no change in his behavior or attitude. He continues to be cruel and autocratic with his family. She continues to lead the life of self-pity and devoid of affection.

Key characters and their traits: Husband – Ramani: He is a self-obsessed man, who is dominating on his family. He controls all the aspects of his household. Neither he shows any love and affection for his wife and children nor does he receive that love from his family. With his presence, there is an atmosphere of sadness in the house. He acts a tyrant in his conduct with his wife Savitri, three children – 1 son and 2 daughters and domestic helps. Ramani fails as a husband as well as a father. He is never happy with his wife and only tries to find faults in her. He frequently beats his children even on trivial issues, instead of patiently handling them. Wife – Savitri: Savitri is the opposite of her husband, Ramani. She is a traditional Indian housewife, who takes care of the house and their children. She is a dutiful and faithful wife. She is devoted to her husband even after she gathers knowledge of his illicit affair. She suffers in silence and retorts to her dark room when she feels helpless. Even though she is beautiful, Ramani does not appreciate her or takes care of her. He is proud of her presence in public. He abuses and condemns her often in the house. Savitri tries her best to be the docile and submissive wife which the society expects her to be. She even argues with her tyrant husband, Ramani for the welfare of their children. Ultimately, the mother in Savitri makes her come back to the house after her futile suicide attempt to take care of their children. Mistress – Shanta Bai:

Shanta Bai is a beautiful and ambitious lady, who starts working at the office of husband _ Ramani. She has deserted her husband who was an alcoholic. She is a strong headed woman, who has cut ties off even with her own family for the sake of her freedom. She uses her feminity and charm for her advantage. She does not shy away from flirting with men and uses men around her for her advantage. She does not care being termed as the house-wrecker. Friends of Savitri – Gangu and Janamma: Gangu is a free and independent woman, who is supported by her husband. She is strong and ambitious. She is not disloyal to her husband or family. Janamma is the embodiment of a traditional submissive wife, who worships her husband. She does not even question the illicit affairs of her husband, rather accepts them meekly. Rescuers – Mari and Ponni: Mari is the brave man, who rescues Savitri from drowning in the River Sarayu at the time of her futile attempt at suicide. He is married to Ponni. Ponni is an ordinary village woman. She is well-mannered and caring. She does not have any child but lives happily with her husband. Let us now ponder over the thought that is this story relevant today? Hell, yeah! It is extremely relevant even today. This story covers feminism. It is a thoughtful attempt to talk about the marginalized status of women and the patriarchy present in the society. Is it not true that today also the women have no equal status in the society whether it is socio-political or economical? The women face criticism and are manipulated outside as well as inside their homes. The women have to still financially depend on the males around them. May be some women are now working and getting financial independence, but are the women really taking financial decisions for themselves? Are they taking care of their own

income tax returns and their investments? Aren’t these decisions still left in the hands of men of the family – fathers, brothers or husbands? Women still have no right to take their own financial decisions. Recently, in a social experiment conducted on the occasion of Women’s day in the year 2021 by the company paytm, some stark financial gaps were revealed. A video was recorded and shared, wherein the experience of 30 individuals including both male and female of varied age groups and professions was documented. At the beginning, the individuals were asked to stand in a straight line and were asked various questions ranging from ‘Did you learn how to ride a bicycle before the age of 10’ to ‘Do you manage your own finances and earning unassisted?’ and ‘Do you know your exact salary break up?’ etc. For each question – the participants were to move a step forward if the answer to question was YES and a step backwards if the answer was a NO. These individuals were all well-educated and most had good careers as well. As soon as the questions were raised on the issues of personal finance and financial independence, it was only men who were taking steps forward. The gap was appalling towards the end of the experiment. Even after having good careers in the professions of writers, directors, strategists, the women unanimously lacked financial knowledge. It was the men who knew the difference between SIP and mutual funds, details of the financial documents or studied of the Union Budget. So yes, even today the women are suffering! It is true that since time immemorial, the world has been dominated by male folk and the female folk are given a secondary status. They are considered to be supporter of the males – be it in the family or even outside world. If a women does not suit the ideal role of a companion, but tries to take charge of her life, then she is not liked by many and has to face criticism. This criticism may not just come from the males, but also fellow females, who have been brainwashed to believe that a female must support her man in all circumstances. What happens when the woman does not support her man? What happens when the woman leaves her man if she is not treated well? The author has touched on this disparity very well in the story – The Dark Room. We have witnessed the females succumb to shocking positions even in our mythological books, wherein they were either helpless or marginalized. In Ramayana, the Goddess Sita is kidnapped by the King of Sri Lanka, Ravana. She is rescued by her husband after waging a

war. After her return to the kingdom of Ayodhya, she has to again take a test – Agni Pariksha to prove her piousness, even though she had done that test once after coming out of the clutches of Ravana. In ‘Mahabharata’, Dropadi, who was the queen of the land, was insulted when she dragged out of her room, when she was not even dressed appropriately. She was traded in a game by her husband, who considered her not as an equal, but as his property. She was assaulted and attempted to be raped. No one present there tried to even rescue her. Her 5 husbands were present along with the other elder members of the family, but no one uttered a single word for her. Everyone was mum and witnessed the ghastly events. These levels of atrocities have been repeatedly taught to us as part of Indian culture. It is time to unlearn such lessons and think about feminism. What really is feminism? Does it mean females are to be given more rights? Feminism refers to all genders having equal rights and opportunities. It does not talk about giving any extra rights to females, it merely means providing them with equal rights as compared to their male counterparts. Feminism leads to creating awareness and respect of diverse experiences, identities, knowledge and strengths of women. It strives towards empowering all women to realise their rights and opportunities. It can only help to create a levelled the playing field between all genders. It does not mean tilting of the playing field in favour of women. Feminism aims to ensure that diverse women are provided the same opportunities in life as are available to men in their society. It talks about raising voices in response to the atrocities against women, their exploitation and humiliations. Let us take a look at feminism in ‘The Dark Room’: It is a story of a house wife, who has 3 children and lives with a dominating husband, Ramani. He is an arrogant husband and does not care for the feelings any other person.

Ramani does not treat his wife as an equal partner in his marriage. But, as a slave, who has to listen and follow all the commands of the master – husband. The starting of the story reveals that Savitri has no power to take any decision at home even after the 15 years of her married life with Ramani to the extent that she equates herself to being an impotent. All the household decisions are taken by Ramani alone, who does not even give her the liberty to prepare food of her choice. Her husband treats her as an ‘other’ and ‘lack’. It is clear from the instances when every morning Ramani gets ready to leave for his office, he stands at the middle of the door and calls out who is there. He never calls out for his wife directly, but as an indirect instruction Savitri comes out to check on him and watch him leave for his office. Savitri is depicted as a meek and docile wife, who has accepted this loveless marriage as her fate. She does everything she possible can, without attempting to get Ramani angry, for her house and children. In fact, all the other female characters depicted in this story have traits of weak and submissive personalities. No female is shown as strong headed and independent. It shows the reality of the times and the state of females in the patriarchal society. Looking back at the story, the protagonist – Savitri is really the torchbearer for feminism. Let us compare the other female characters in the book: Like Savitri, Janamma is also an extremely submissive wife. To the extent that the she treats her husband as God and feels that he cannot do any think wrong. She even accepts the adulterous behavior of her husband. Gangu is represented in the terms of ‘lacking’ whatever she needs. She is projected as having lack of knowledge, lack of beauty, lack of good looks, lack of good voice, etc. However, she has a very supportive husband, who makes her aware of her rights and opportunities. In fact, it is her husband, who encourages her to pursue her ambitions. Shanta Bai is represented in a negative light. She abuses her feminity for her advantage and is ready to get into any relationship for advancement of her career or monetary gains. She

behaves like a whore with Ramani and does not care about the impact of her relationship on his wife. Ponni is also represented in shades of grey. She is an aggressive wife, who misbehaves with her husband. She is an arrogant house wife It is this weakness of the fairer sex , which has been depicted in detail in this story through the eyes of the protagonist, Savitri. From the beginning of the book, she is reduced to a helpless and hopeless character, who has accepted and learnt to live as per her husband, Ramani’s wishes alone. During the incident when her son Babu is forced by Ramani to attend school, despite of having high fever, she feel awfully helpless, when she is unable to save her son from a physical abuse by the father. Ramini screams at Savitri and asks her to mind her own business as she can only do anything she likes in the kitchen, but cannot interfere his training of his growing up boy. This shows how Savitri cannot do anything even as a mother. She has no rights over her children. It is Ramani alone who has the authority to decide everything. In this novel, the author has even gone to the extent of showing the dressing up of women as being only for outsiders. It is expressed that women can either do something in the matters of kitchen or for decorating themselves up (dressing themselves). Ramani claims that women are annoying as they take hours for dressing up when they are going out. They pile up their costly sarees only for rare occasions of going out. When they are at home, they wear obnoxious clothes which look like rags. The business of a husband is only paying the bill. The outsiders have the privilege of looking at a pretty dress and a dolled up woman, not the husband. Another interesting incident is the comparison of women with ‘dolls’ in the streets. The dressed up women can only be seen in the streets like the dolls of the seller. Like these dolls, woman of the house is also just an exhibit for display. In the male-dominated society, females, like dolls, are only the play things by males.

Other men mentioned in the story have also expressed their view on physically abusing and using derogatory language for their wives and females in general. Let us look at few examples: Ranga, the servant and the cook support this viewpoint of Ramani that a wife should never interfere in her husband’s affairs. The cook even mentions that once when his wife tried to interfere in his decision, he broke her bones. This has made his wife not interfere now. He even expresses that women must be shown their place. It implies that a woman can only be taught by physically abusing her. Mari, though rescues Savitri, claims that too much freedom must not be given to women and that they must be kept under proper control. It is only then all will be fine in the house. The old priest, who lives in the temple, where Savitri finds work with the help of Ponni, also used offensive language for Ponni. He claims to Mari that if Ponni does not let you take any rest at home, then you must beat her. He says it is the only way to keep women stable. He further adds that men have become impotent by giving their women freedom to take decisions. Other examples of verbal abuse referred in the story include:  Against Savitri: It is claimed that she behaves like a child, who has only physically developed, but does not mentally understand anything. Insulting words like – Ungrateful woman and Thankless Wretch are used.  Against Gangu Abusive words like Restless rat were used.  Against Janamma

Words like temple chariot are used because of her plus size. Criticism of the story: The author has detailed the Ramani house so vividly that the reader can feel themselves to be a part of it. The details with which the attitude of Ramani has been described along with the various incidents which his family members have to undergo are intense. On the other hand, the character of Ms. Shanta Bai and the details of the illicit affair between Ramani and her are described in a muted manner. For the age and time for the author to discuss prevalence of adultery and patriarchy in the society, it is surprising that no details about Shanta Bai, her family and the affair are expressed. Further, the manner in which the extremely bold step taken by Savitri is treated is not at par with that occurrence per se. The story hits a high when it is revealed that Savitri leaves her husband, Ramani’s house late at night. She finds no place to go and decides to attempt suicide out of her helplessness. However, it is heart wrenching to read that it took Savitri only one single day to she realise that the choices she has made are not practical and will adversely affect her children. She returns home in such a hurried manner, though it is clear that a part of her is benumbed now and she will never be the same. Ramani is relieved to find out that she has returned to the house. He does not show any feelings even at this juncture. He has no remorse or guilt about his actions and attitude. He is happy that she is back to attend to her duties, for the sake of social facades that he must maintain before everyone. The author has expressed sympathy towards Savitri and other female characters in the story. He also analysed the importance of education and awareness in women, which leads to ambition and growth. He has however, not attended the story in proper feminist fashion. He could have provided a better solution to the problems faced by Savitri and thousands of other Savitris who still blame their destiny for their lives.

Savitri leaves the house for extremely valid reasons. She had faced enough of the domestic abuse at the hands of her husband. She was right to maintain her dignity by not accepting the adulterous behaviour of Ramani. However, her reasons to reconcile and return are not as clearly depicted as the same should be. It seems that the author, being a realist, comprehended the real limitations faced by people in their lives and the society. He seems to have made Savitri accept her fate as a wife and also, as a mother. Though she rebelled against a traditional and regressive society, she did not show courage in attempting to suicide. Had she left with her daughters and may be even their son in tow, the effect of that would have been so much different even on Ramani. What if the all the children and Savitri together started a new life away from the horrors of Ramani? Would they not have had a much better – calmer and peaceful life rather than Savitri returning and giving an ego boost to Ramani that she cannot survive anywhere else, but in this house, under the whims and fancies of Ramani. In this story, the author clearly expresses a deep sorrow how the wife and other women are being treated in their respective houses and by the society at large. He has effectively portrayed the ruthlessness and selfishness of the husband's character – Ramani. It is however, the weakness in narration and shallowness of the real decision making of Savitri, which leave the readers asking for more. Had the affair between Ramani and Shanta Bai described more or reached a level where Shanta Bai is exposed? Had Savitri been more courageous and not returned? Or had she been brave enough to take all her children along for their brighter future? It is such basic elements which seem to have been amissed by the author in an overall gripping tale. 1.5 SUMMARY The theme of The Dark Room emphasizes the relationship between a submissive and obedient wife with a cruel and tyrant husband. The story revolves around the patriarchy of the society which married women has to face. It details the dilemma of a mother vis-à-vis a wife. The story depicts the courage of Savitri to leave her husband for having an affair, but return to the same life again for the welfare of her children.

This is story is a representative of Indian women who live under the dominance of the patriarchal system. This story is extremely relevant even in the current times. The sacrifices made by a married woman her husband and children are a truth of our society. Even though opportunities for women are better currently, however there are millions who suffer in silence at the hands of males in the society. 1.6 KEYWORDS Docile: submissive Free-spirited: independent and not constrained by convention. Infatuated: possessed with an intense but short-lived passion or admiration for someone. Submissive: ready to conform to the authority or will of others; meekly obedient or passive. Tyrant: cruel or obsessive 1.7 LEARNING ACTIVITY 1. Imagine yourself as Savitri’s best friend (neither Gangu nor Janamma). Write a scene of your conversation with her after she returns home. 2. Imagine yourself as Ramani’s best friend. Create a conversation with him to change his attitude towards his family at the beginning of the story (before he meets the other woman – Shanta Bai). 1.8 UNIT END QUESTIONS A. Descriptive Questions Short Questions 1. Justify the tittle “The dark room”. 2. Describe the key characteristic traits of Ramani.

3. Describe the key characteristic traits of Savitri. 4. Is Savitri like her friends – Gangu and Janamma? If not, illustrate. 5. How did Savitri react on learning about her husband's affair with Shanta Bai? Long Questions 1. Describe a day in the Ramani household from morning to night. 2. Describe the double standards elucidated by Ramani in his attitude towards Savitri and Shanta Bai. 3. Do you justify the suicide attempt by Savitri? What could she have done to avoid her helplessness? 4. Illustrate with examples the patriarchy present in the society at the time of this story and compare the same with contemporary issues. 5. Discuss the issue of adultery as depicted in this book – The Dark Room. What is the impact of this issue on a man vis-à-vis a woman. B. Multiple Choice Questions 1. In which town is the story of The Dark Room set? a. Madras b. Malgudi c. Mumbai d. Mangalore 2. ‘The Dark Room’ mentioned in the story refers to: a. A woman sitting in a darkened room because of her helplessness b. A man repenting is illicit affair with a co-worker

c. A woman deserted her husband because of physical abuse d. A man grieving the suicide of his wife. 3. The theme of the story – The Dark Room is: a. The socio-economic dimension of a town – Malgudi b. The intricacies of an arranged marriage c. Problems faced by a married Indian lady who is financially dependent on her husband. d. Freedom of choice of a married woman. 4. What is the name of the company in which the husband works? a. Englandia Insurance Company. b. English Insurance Company. c. Indian Insurance Company. d. England Insurance Company. 5. Who is the main protagonist of the story – The Dark Room? a. Shanta Bai b. Janamma c. Gangu d. Savitri 6. Which characteristic traits describe Savitri?

a. Meek and docile b. Rebel c. Free-spirited d. Self-obsessed 7. Which characteristic traits describe Ramani? a. Meek and docile b. Rebel c. Free-spirited d. Self-obsessed 8. Where did Ramani and Shanta Bai first meet? a. Job interview b. Movie c. School d. Home 9. Who are the only friends of Savitri? a. Shanta Bai and Gangu b. Shanta Bai and Janamma c. Gangu and Janamma d. No friends mentioned in the book

10. In which river did Savitri jump to attempt to commit suicide? a. Ganga b. Sarayu c. Yamuna d. Saraswati Answers: 1 – b; 2 – a; 3 – c; 4 – a; 5 – d; 6 – a; 7 – d; 8 – a; 9 – c and 10 – b 1.9 SUGGESTED READINGS Refefernce Books  Alam, Fakrul. “Reading R.K Narayan Post-colonially.” Panini. Dhaka: North South University, 2002.  Biswall, Jayant K. A Crtical Study of the Novels of R.K. Narayan: The Mulgudi Comedy. New Delhi: Nirmal Publishers & Distributors, 1987.  Krishnaswamy, Shanta. The Woman In Indian Fiction 1950-1980. New Delhi: Ashish Publishing House, 2001.  Narayan, R.K. The Dark Room. Chennai: Indian Thought Publication, 1938.  Ramteke, S.R. Society and the Individual in the Novels of R. K. Narayan: A Study in Interaction. Nagpur: Nagpur University, 1988, p.12.  Sen, Krishna. Critical Essay on R.K. Narayan’s The Guide: with an Introduction to Narayan. Orient Longman, 2014.  Walsh, William. R. K. Narayan: A Critical Appreciation. New Delhi: Allied Publishers Private Ltd, 1942.

 Hurley, J., 2001. Feminism. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, Inc.  Freedman, J., 2001. Feminism. Philadelphia, Pa.: Open University. Journals  Adhikary, R., 2020. Existential Maturity of Savitri in the Dark Room by R. K. Narayan. UJAH: Unizik Journal of Arts and Humanities, 21(1), pp.138-155. Websites  The PAYTM social experiment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9CLF iPnOd8  Ijmcer.com. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.ijmcer.com/wp- content/uploads/2020/08/IJMCER_R02401520159.pdf>.  Iupindia.in. 2021. R K Narayan's `New Woman': A Feminist Perspective. [online] Available at: <https://www. iup ind ia. in/608/IJES_ RK_Nara ya ns_New_Wo ma n_52. html>.  PenguinRandomhouse.com. 2021. The Dark Room by R. K. Narayan: 9780345803818 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books. [online] Available at: <https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/222839/the-dark-room-by-r-k- narayan/>.  Puneresearch.com. 2021. [online] Available at: <http://puneresearch.com/media/data/issues/596a454fc1ae4.pdf>.

UNIT - 2: TUGHLAQ BY GIRISH KARNAD Structure 2.0 Learning Objectives 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Tughlaq 2.3 Summary 2.4 Keywords 2.5 Learning Activity 2.6 Unit End Questions 2.7 Suggested Readings 2.0 LEARNING OBJECTIVES After reading this unit, the student will be able to:  Know the author – Girish Karnad  Learn and analyse the play ‘Tughlaq’  Analyse the traits of all characters of the play 2.1 INTRODUCTION Girish Raghunath Karnad was a renowned Indian actor, film director and a writer. He primarily worked in the South Indian cinema and Bollywood. He also was a script writer for various plays and movies in the language – Kannada. His popularity rose in the 1960s. He continued working for close to four decades. His work was characterized as a blend of history as well as mythology, wherein he compared the same with varied contemporary issues. His plays were translated into other languages including English, which garnered received acclaim. His plays have been translated into many Indian languages and directed by prominent directors to the likes of Ebrahim Alkazi, B. V. Karanth, Alyque Padamsee, Prasanna, Arvind Gaur, Satyadev Dubey, Vijaya Mehta, Shyamanand Jalan, Amal Allanaa and Zafer Mohiuddin.

He was active in the world of Indian cinema working as an actor, director and screenwriter, in Hindi and Kannada cinema, and has earned numerous awards. He was born in Matheran, a district in the state of Maharashtra. His schooling commenced in Maharashtra, before his parents moved to Karnataka. He graduated with Bachelors of Arts (in Mathematics and Statistics) from the Karnataka University in the year 1958. From the early age, due to his parent’s interests, he was inclined to travelling theatre groups (also known as the Natak Mandalis). After his graduation, the author moved to England for his Masters in Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Lincoln and Magdalen colleges in Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. He returned to India and started his career with the Oxford University Press, Chennai and was associated with them for seven years. Later, he resigned to follow his passion of writing full-time. During his stay at Chennai, he was involved with local theatre group, known as The Madras Players. He has also served as director of the Film and Television Institute of India and chairman of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, the National Academy of the Performing Arts. He also was a Visiting Professor at the University of Chicago and Fulbright Playwright- in-Residence. Karnad wrote in Kannada, which was an adopted language for him and not his mother tongue (Konkani). He was deeply impacted by C. Rajagopalachari's version of the Mahabharata, which was published in the year 1951. He himself wrote dialogues for characters from the Mahabharata in Kannada and claimed that he felt the dialogues being whispered to him. Later, he felt the same while writing his famous play, Yayati, which was published in the year 1961. This play was an instant success. It was an imagination of conversation between King Yayati, who was cursed into premature old age by Guru Shukracharya and his daughter- in-law, wife of that son who sacrificed his youth for his father. His next play was Tughlaq in the year 1964. It was about the idealist 14th century Sultan (King) of Delhi, Muhammad bin Tughluq, and paralleled it with the Nehru government. We will discuss the same in detail in this unit. His other prominent plays included Hayavadana, in the year 1971, which was based on a theme drawn from The Transposed Heads, a work by Thomas Mann; Naga-Mandala, which

was based on a folk lore related to a cobra. This play was awarded as the Most Creative Work of the year 1989 by the Karnataka Sahitya Academy. It was followed by the play Taledanda (Death by Beheading,) in the year 1990, which dealt with the rise of Veerashaivism, a radical protest and reform movement in the 12th century in Karnataka. He was commissioned to write the play, Agni Mattu Male (The Fire and the Rain). Karnad also started acting in plays and movies. His debut was a Kannada movie, Samskara, in the year 1970. He also wrote the screenplay for this movie. It was awarded the 1st President's Golden Lotus Award for Kannada cinema. Over the years, he played memorable roles in various Hindi and Kannada feature films and worked with highly acclaimed directors like Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen and Shyam Benegal. He garnered popularity for his portrayal of Swami's father in the TV series – Malgudi Days, which was based on the books of R. K. Narayan. He also directed movies. His debut directorial venture Vamsha Vriksha, in the year 1971, won the National Film Award for Best Direction with B. V. Karanth, the co-director. His other directorial ventures included Godhuli and Utsav. He also made various documentaries - on the Kannada poet D. R. Bendre (1972), Kanaka-Purandara (English, 1988) on medieval Bhakti poets of Karnataka, Kanaka Dasa and Purandara Dasa, and The Lamp in the Niche on Sufism and the Bhakti movement. Many of these films and documentaries won national and international awards. Few of his popular Kannada movies include Tabbaliyu Neenade Magane, Ondanondu Kaladalli, Cheluvi and Kaadu. His popular Hindi movies include Nishaant, Manthan, Swami, Pukar, Iqbal, Dor, 8 x 10 Tasveer and Aashayein. His last Bollywood movie was in the year 2017 starring Salman Khan – Tiger Zinda Hai (the sequel of Ek Tha Tiger). He was the voice of APJ Abdul Kalam, the former President of India, in the audiobook of Kalam's autobiography by Charkha Audiobooks – Wings of Fire.

In total, he has won 4 Filmfare Awards, of which 3 are for Best Director – Kannada and the 4th for Best Screenplay Award. He was a presenter for a weekly science magazine program called “Turning Point” which aired on Doordarshan in the year 1991. He was conferred Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in the years 1994 and 1992 respectively. He breathed his last aged 81 years in his Bangalore residence in the year 2019. 2.2 TUGHLAQ The first scene of this play is set outside a court in Delhi. It commences with a discussion between an old and young man, where in the grandfather man questions that where is this country headed to? The grandson wonders at the question and replies that the country is in safe hands, much safer than the times his grandfather has witnessed. This play comprises of 13 scenes, interwoven around the life and times of Muhammad bin Tughlaq, the 14th century king of Delhi, who was an authoritarian but an idealistic king. The reign of this king disintegrated into failure in a span of 20 years. The author compares the Delhi under the Sultan Tughlaq with the contemporary issues under the Nehru leadership. The king planned to build a secular state with no division on the basis of religion. He attempted to move the capital of his kingdom from Delhi to Daulatabad, which was a Hindu majority city. He had unique ideas to improve economy. However, his actions were that of a tyrant and he lost control of his kingdom eventually. The author married the historical issues with contemporary ones in this play. Tuglaq introduced many changes in law to ensure that Hindus and Muslims are treated equally. He exempted Hindus from paying the tax of Jazia, which was the 1st by any Mughal ruler. He gave Hindus the right to complain against the Civil Servants of the king against any action done by them. He attempted to introduce copper Currency to revive the economy of the kingdom. This play has interesting characters in the court of the Sultan, namely a Muslim dhobi (named Aziz), who disguises as a Brahmin, Vishnu Prasad to ascertain the welfare measures on the ground; and Aazam, who is a pickpocket and a friend of Aziz. His counsellors included the

sharp politician, Najib; soft spoken historian, Barani and the harsh critic maulvi, Sheikh Imam-ud-din. The king is depicted playing chess often. The author has chosen this game for symbolism along with the theme of disguise throughout the narration. His time spent in the rose garden is again symbolic of the paradise he wants to create for his subjects. The Roses are the artistic and poetic characteristics of Tughlaq. Later, the Thorns are viewed as the withering away of the dreams of the Sultan. This historical play emphasis the in the last 5 years of the reign of Sultan Muhammad-Bin-Tughlaq. It starts in the city of Delhi in the year 1327, then moves on the road from Delhi to Daultabad, and later, is set in and around the fort in Daultabad. Though this play is not factually correct to the hilt, it is greatly inspired from the history. The author claimed that he was fascinated by the brilliant ideas and policies of the Sultan Muhammad-Bin-Tughlaq, which were farsighted, but were not easy for the common man to decode. This led to the Sultan being termed as “Mohammed the mad”. It was disheartening that eventually his kingdom ended in chaos. In the beginning of the play, Tughlaq is portrayed as a generous and charitable king. He is shown to accept the judgment of his Kazi, in the matter where he is held accountable for misappropriating the land of a Hindu man, Vishnu Prasad. Tughlaq sanctions him a fine of 500 silver dinars and a post in Civil Services. In the crowd present at the Court, an old man, who is representation of the orthodox class, criticizes the liberal and rational policies of Tughlaq. This man claims it is an insult to the Muslim religion. On the other hand, the young man, who represents the liberals claims that it is only under this Sultan that there is liberty to pray (read Namaz) 5 times of a day since it has been declared as a law and if it is not followed, then you will be charged by officers for breaking the law. The young man questions if this ease of reading Quran was ever possible before. In the beginning of the play, Tughlaq, is portrayed as a man alienated from the society, because he feels dejected and not understood in the correct perspective. The reason behind the same is that his ideas are far sighted and not appreciated by the common people. The Hindus and Muslims looked skeptically at each other during the reign of Tughlaq, without

realizing that he was actually a very broad minded and tolerant king. The common people did not value his attempts to bring an understanding between both the religious communities to reduce the distrust. The changes which Tughlaq attempted to inoculate in the kingdom could have had long term positive effect had the same been accepted. Tughlaq often felt frustrated since his idealistic dreams were shattered and never had the consequence he imagined them to reach since the common people never supported those ideas. He wondered as to how could he explain such visionary ideas to people who had no vision of their own. Tughlaq is left to fight a battle with his own thoughts. Tughlaq loves to play chess, enjoys his garden of roses, loves to read the poems of Sadi and Greek. He expresses his vision of creating a new world, which is not found in Arabs or in the Quran. He wishes to create an ideal world in accordance to his visions of a new future. He is constantly worried about the welfare of the common people of his kingdom. He does not want to waste any minute of his day idly, but read the thoughts of Rumi, Pleiades and Ibn-ul- Mottazz. He tried his best efforts to keep the common public happy and prosperous. Tughlaq, the protagonist of this play, like the real Sultan, is inclined towards learning. He was a well-read scholar and possessed judicious philosophy. He was not liked by the traditionalists. His chief advisor, Barani believes that Tughlaq is known across the world for his knowledge of “philosophy and poetry”. The author ensured that his protagonist depicts the sensitivity to contemporary issues. In this play, an image of new India is painted, wherein the emperor – Tughlaq dreams of new cities and policies, while instilling new values in the common people. This character is an idealist ruler, but also is ambitious. The author has paralleled this Sultan with the Prime Minister and his colleagues of the democratic government of the 20th century. The ideas of the Sultan Tughlaq to create a spirit of unity amongst Hindus and Muslims in the 14th century is similar to the attempts made by Mahatma Gandhi in the 20th century to unite the country, which was followed by Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru. Nehru tried to harmonize Hindu and Muslim communities in a Post-Independence India. He even tried to extend his arm of brotherhood to China, but was backstabbed for it. Jawaharlal Nehru shared

with Tughlaq the ambitious dream to rebuild a magnificent India. Tughlaq after facing failure in his visionary policies, chose violence and cruelty for the implementation of his plans. A critique of this play has claimed that this tyranny referred to the democratic government under the leadership of Ms. Indira Gandhi in the later years. Thus, the non-violent idealism of Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru are ignored in the days of Indira Gandhi. It is imperative to note that the visionary policies and ideas of Tughlaq are unique for his times. His own counsellors (Amirs) and subjects fail to understand and follow the same, consequently become concerned about his motives. He requests co-operation for creating a new idealist India. He even expresses his anxiety that he needs their support for the growth and if they are not able to comprehend his idea, they must seek explanation from Tughlaq. He requested them to endure his policies and wait for the results. The religious equality which Tughlaq tried was opposed by one and all. The decision to move the capital from Delhi to Daultabad was also a step towards religious equality, but was vehemently opposed. Once Tughlaq faces criticism from everyone, he declares that it was only because of his being sensitive towards his own subjects, who will then be punished for their breaches. Subsequently, he terminated all his opponents by killing them mercilessly. However, his profound guilt soon turned him towards God. His tragedy lies in the fact that he was way ahead of his times. His visionary policies were unaccepted and misunderstood by everyone. His idea of commencing copper currency also ended in a disaster. His idealism led to his collapse. His own subjects nicknamed him “a mad man and tyrant”. The author has amplified the narrative by adding some exemplary characters in this play, who support the protagonist and also, have an independent existence. Let us take a look at the other characters: Sheikh Imam-ud-din is a traditional in his thoughts and fanatic who hates the ideas of secularism and communal harmony which Tughlaq attempted to introduce. Tughlaq invited him for a meeting and offers explanation to him, but did not allow his subjects to attend that meeting. Thus, the meeting is turned into a trap to capture Sheikh Imam-ud-Din. Later, he is sent as a peace missionary to Ain-ul-Mulk, since he resembles Tughlaq in appearance. It was this physical similarity which led him to be killed by the Sheikh for mistaken identity.

Another key character is that of Aziz who runs an important role in this play. He is the realist, who understands the political situation deeply. He understands the motives and flaws of the plans of Tughlaq. He undermines all the well-intentioned plans of Tughlaq for his own selfish motives. He is also a visionary in his thoughts like Tughlaq, but is quite shrewd. He takes the disguise of a Brahmin to challenge the policies of secularism. He even becomes a civil servant and loots people on their way to Daultabad, when it is turned into the capital. He mints counterfeit coins on the announcement of the new currency. He impersonates the Khalifa to restore the freedom of prayer in the kingdom. He eventually manipulates Tughlaq and plays him as a pawn in his own game of chess. Other key counsellors of Tughlaq are Najib and Barani. These 2 are in constant conflict with each other depicting the internal turmoil of Tughlaq. Najib is the shrewd politician, who does not care for any values, like morality and truth when the safety and welfare are at stake. On the other hand, Barani, wishes to uphold the values of peace, love and religion. These characters are truly an extension of Tughlaq only. Tughlaq becomes ruthless after Najib is killed and is headed towards madness. Barani leaves his Court after feeling powerless. Tughlaq, who was such a well-read visionary and could change the course of history, is himself twisted by the course of events and becomes a mad tyrant. Tughlaq is driven by a desire change the kingdom. He refuses to admit his defeat when no one around him is able to comprehend his ideas. He resorts to extreme cruelty to complete his mission. The author has described Tughlaq as full of contradictions. On one hand, he is intelligent and on the other hand, he becomes misguided by his own decisions. So, he is really responsible for the actions and their consequences as he chose them with his freewill. Tughlaq is the king full of power, learning and intelligence. When he observes that both Ain- ul-Mulk and Shiekh Imam-ud-din are hurdles in his bigger picture, he plans to kill them. With his ingenious strategy, he gets rid of them both in one go. On realizing that the common people are not taking his sensitive version seriously, he turns into an authoritative tyrant. It was his cruel fate that he was misunderstood by the people for whose welfare he was working and was betrayed by those who he loved. It was these reasons which make his turn into a mad tyrant. The murder of Shihab-ud-Din, one of his closest aides, by Tughlaq is the result of his frustration, which rose from catching the treachery of his friend in the failed conspiracy to murder him (Tughlaq).

This extreme cruelty frightens all the people around him since his decisions lead to murders. To the extent that his step mother murders Najib, who she considers to be behind all the murder conspiracies in the kingdom. She believes that in the absence of advises from Najib, the murders will stop and the Sultan will find peaceful means to the end. However, the killing of Najib does not bring the much desired end, but leads to more bloodbath. This chaos dries up all the emotions from Tughlaq. It is his drive for more power and money which make him loose the sight of his once noble objectives. He turns to prayer and politics. Tughlaq is referred to have used Prayer as a means to an end, but not an end itself. Only the powerful and the rulers could pray in peace. The general atmosphere of the kingdom is full of cruelty, killings and tears. It is not easy for common people to pray. Tughlaq is a tyrant, who ascended to the throne after beheading his father and brother during the prayer time. He tasted has blood at a young age. So, the prayer adopted by Tughlaq, is not for purity of the mind, but a dirty political game. Even the prayer halls are used for discussion on politics. It is during the prayer time only that the Shihab-ud-din and the Amirs conspire to murder Tughlaq. This plan is hindered by the Hindu guards, who stab the Sheikh. Tughlaq’s wrath knows no boundaries. He kills his sister’s son, Gurusahab. The murder is done in a ghastly manner to frighten any other person so that no one can dare a rebel against him. He ordered to stone his step mother when he discovered that she was behind killing of Najib. His other obsessive actions, which resulted in chaos are the introduction of Copper currency and imposition of high taxes during drought. The shifting of his capital from Delhi to Daultabad and immediate evacuation of Delhi by force result only in a nightmare of starvation, disease and death. Towards the end of his reign, Tughlaq is left solely to deliberate on his disappointments. His cruel actions and tyrant decisions, although rose out of his frustration, they led to his pursuit for power. His answer to any rebel was murder. The story of Aziz in this play is again filled with more violence and crimes. He started as a comic figure, but goes on impersonating one person after another for his ulterior motives. At first, Aziz impersonates Vishnu Prasad, the Brahmin in order to take advantage of the law which claims that all are equal before the law. He filed a suit against the Sultan and is rewarded 500 silver dinars and a job in the civil services. During the movement of people from Delhi to Daultabad, he takes a bribe as a Brahmin from whoever he could. He shows no