Write a note on the character of Kiran.

Ans.

Her painful experiences

Kiran is the most dominating and powerful character in the play after Hasmukh. If he controls the family through his will. Kiran is physically present there and keeps all of them under strict discipline. She is undoubtedly a beautiful and attractive lady but she has never been happy. In her early life, she had a very bad experience. Her father was a great drunkard and came home everyday with a bottle of beer wrapped in a paper. He beat her mother and even abused her badly as she reports. “He came every day with bottles of rum wrapped up newspapers. As I watched him beating her up and calling her names, I learnt in what life was when my mother pretended she was happy in front of me and my brothers.” Unfortunately her brother also followed the same way. This bad incident of her family had created a very bad impression on her mind because after marriage she had herself to face the same situation. She reports, “I married a drunkard and I listened to his swearing. And I too have learnt to suffer silently.” It is quite natural that such tragic experiences of her personal life have led her to conclude, “Is not it strange how repetitive life is ?……where will all this end? Will the scares of our parents lay on us remain for ever?” Inspite of all this, she has no ill will against anybody and behaves with love and affection.

Her Wisdom

She has played the role of Hasmukh’s mistress and chief instrument to set the Hasmukh family on the right path. Her wisdom and boldness are unsuspected and Hasmukh has realized it very quickly. This is why from an ordinary worker, she has been promoted to the chair of one of the directors of the company. She has won the faith of Hasmukh so completely that he has appointed her the trustee and has given her full power. She will make all the major decisions in the interest of the company and train Ajit and will slowly give him all the responsibilities. He knows that after him, it is only Kiran who can control Preeti successfully and this is what happens. She discloses the mischief of Preeti that by exchanging the pills, she has killed her father-in-law. But she is a very strict administrator and makes Ajit work in his office all day. She does not care that he does not like all this. When Preeti dares disobey, she boldly says that she will live in this house and in case of the violation of instruction, they will be deprived of all the money.

Her Honesty and Sincerity

One thing that goes greatly in favour of Kiran is that in spite of all this wisdom and hard work, she is never proud. She behaves with all of them particularly with Sonal very sympathetically. She has no intention to be dishonest and plainly tells them about her powers, “I think I must clear some misunderstandings you may have about my authority. I am only the trustee of all his wealth. Not the owner…Everything rightfully belongs to you……” She further explains. “When your child is twenty one, the trust automatically dissolves. Its holdings will be transferred to Ajit for him and his heirs to enjoy.” This means that at that time her duties will end and she will leave their home. We find that her behaviour with Sonal is quite friendly. Sonal is now quite close to her and both of them are very deeply impressed by each other. It is the love of Kiran for her that Sonal requests her, “I am glad you are living with us. I hope you’ll stay with us for ever.” This sweetness of nature finally makes her a member of that family and all of them accept her.

Knowledge of Human Psychology

In fact, Kiran is very good reader of human psychology. Her relations with Hasmukh are certainly quite like a beloved and mistress but all through the play we have no hint that there were any illicit relations between them. She knows that Ajit is not bad by heart and realizes that the greatest weakness of Hasmukh is that he cannot take any decisions himself. First he depended on his father and then on her. She tells Sonal about it. “He depended on me for everything……He wanted me to run his life like his father had. Hasmukh really didn’t want a mistress. He wanted a father. He saw in me the woman who would father him.” She is happy that at least Ajit is not so. He does not follow the footsteps of his father. “He may not be the greatest rebel on earth, but at least he is free of his father’s belief. He resists……That is enough to prove that Ajit has won and Hasmukh has lost.” She hatefully remarks about Hasmukh. “Hasmukh Mehta was living in his father’s shadow.” This one remark includes the whole personality of Hasmukh. In this way. Kiran is the only wise person in the play and she is very impressive in her honesty, hard work, dutifulness and wisdom.