The Secret Keeper of Jaipur

“I made an independent living from my henna designs back in Jaipur—that it was hard work, but it made me realize I could rely on myself, that I was strong enough, clever enough. And how good it felt to know that.”

Lakshmi looks back to her early years when she had just escaped from an abusive marriage in a small village. Up to that point in her life, she was indoctrinated with the cultural belief of her own dependency. For women raised with such mental limitations, financial independence seems an unattainable dream. Lakshmi’s success isn’t simply economic; it’s a form of psychological liberation.

“It’s more than the color of my skin that will keep me from the ranks of the privileged. Long used to serving rather than being served, I affect a deference in my bearing that’s hard for me to shed.”

Malik was a street orphan until Lakshmi hired him. His early years and his service to the henna artist have both conditioned him to obey the whims of the wealthy. Now, at age 20, after receiving an upper-class Western education, Malik wryly observes that service has been conditioned into him. This quote is the companion to Lakshmi’s implied observation that society conditions women to remain dependent on men.

“We know things about people, Malik, because we go into their homes, the place where they are most vulnerable. That does not mean that we can divulge what we’ve have seen or heard to everyone we know. There’s more power in keeping a secret than in betraying it.”

This quote is pivotal in understanding both Lakshmi and Malik. Through their henna and herbal therapy businesses, they’ve become privy to the secrets of the social elite. This is even truer because they’ve entered the homes of these people, where their secrets are concealed. Lakshmi doesn’t suggest extortion to use that information, but she’s pragmatic enough to observe the power it gives her over her clientele.

“I turn the pages carefully. Our tribal elders may not know how to read, but they revere those who can. Books contain magic, they say. If we so much as stepped on a book or on a piece of paper, we were punished.”

Lakshmi has begun teaching Nimmi and her daughter how to read. Although Nimmi initially has no use for book learning, this quote reveals her reverence for it. Most in the pastoral nomadic group that Nimmi is a part of are illiterate, but they’ve developed a respect for the power of knowledge. Some of Nimmi’s hostility toward learning to read is her perception that Lakshmi wants Malik to marry an educated woman in the city.

“‘Society says it’s fine for Ravi to have his women—and I use the term loosely.’ She arches a shapely eyebrow. ‘But if I did the same, they’d be outraged.’”

Sheela makes this comment to Malik after he escorts her home while Ravi is off visiting one of his mistresses. The sexual double standard in Hindu society is as evident in this book as it was in its predecessor, The Henna Artist. Lakshmi’s younger sister, Radha, was one of Ravi’s previous conquests, yet Ravi’s mother blamed Radha for the affair. Wives tolerate male philandering—but Ravi later has a jealous outburst, accusing Malik of trying to seduce Sheela.

“There is no need to shield the child from death; we do not do that in my tribe. We want our young to understand that death is as natural as life for man and animals alike, and the sooner they’re aware of that, the better.”

Nimmi has just stumbled across the body of her dead brother and pragmatically explains his death to her two small children. Her beliefs and values are straightforward and simple compared to the tact cultivated by Lakshmi as part of her experience living in the city. In nature, it isn’t as easy to hide from the grim facts of life.

“After independence, when the British left and government posts needed to be filled, nepotism reigned. The higher-level posts, like police commissioner, went to friends and family, whether or not they were qualified for the job. The result? Incompetence and corruption.”

Lakshmi makes this wry observation about the sorry state of the Indian government. This situation has implications for events in the story too. Ravi is both incompetent and corrupt. First, he uses substandard building materials and bribes inspectors to look the other way. Moti-Lal must bribe the right officials to ignore the illegal gold in his shop. Even Jay bribes the Shimla police captain to ignore his dalliance with Nimmi out in the pasture.

“‘You want him to be with someone padha-likha. Someone who wears silk saris and speaks angrezi.’ Her body is vibrating with energy. ‘Why is it so important for anyone to read-write when all you need to survive is air and mountains and apples off the trees and pine nuts and the sweet milk of goats? I’ve survived on that all my life!’”

Nimmi is making an important distinction between culture and survival. She knows how to provide for herself in nature, but Lakshmi values sophistication. The latter still wants Malik to mingle with influential people in Jaipur. This aspiration is ironic, considering that Lakshmi herself has chosen a simpler life in an herb garden in Shimla. By the end of the novel, she comes to appreciate Nimmi’s earthy perspective.

“I’ve spent a lifetime serving others. I’m good at it, and always have been. But only so long as it serves me, too. I do it gladly, willingly, when I can see the benefit. When the benefit is questionable, or when there might be consequences, I weigh the two.”

Malik considers his motivation for helping Sheela wash her hair. Even though she doesn’t recognize him as the henna artist’s serving boy, her behavior is still imperious. As the daughter of a wealthy family, she has spent a lifetime being obeyed. As the henna artist’s “lowly” assistant, Malik spent his early years serving the needs of the “Sheelas” of the world. However, he’s careful to point out that he has learned to serve his own interests in the process.

“The news that Auntie-Boss is coming down floods me with relief. She’s someone I can always count on to keep a level head during a crisis.”

Malik makes this comment after he hears that Lakshmi is coming to Jaipur. In both novels, Lakshmi’s clientele and friends perceive her as someone who gets things done. She manages to find solutions to difficult problems. Even the maharanis value her for her calmness in a crisis. That quality is about to be tested yet again.

“The Singhs will walk away with only a portion of the blame. And Manu is right: Kanta and Niki will pay the price, too. Auntie-Boss always says gossip-eaters have sharp teeth. They will chew on this tragedy for years to come.”

Malik echoes the perspective that Lakshmi has held for years about the damage that gossip can do. This quote emphasizes that the loss of reputation is never an individual tragedy. If Manu is blamed for the theater collapse, his entire family will be blamed as well. Niki and Kanta will both be socially ostracized. Equally important is the observation that the Singhs will manage to avoid blame. They’re adept at playing the game of manipulating public perception.

“I feel about him the same way I feel about my sister, Radha. I want both of them to do well, to develop their skills and use those skills in whatever way they wish. How could that be wrong? Why should I feel guilty for helping them along their path?”

Lakshmi’s comment seems slightly disingenuous. Nimmi has just accused her of interfering in Malik’s life, but Lakshmi is unwilling to recognize that her actions aren’t helpful. She still perceives herself as the guardian and protector of both Radha and Malik, even though neither asked for her intervention. She behaves like a traditional Indian elder even though she deplored this family control in her younger years and demanded personal independence.

“I can’t imagine what’s going to happen at his convent school. He’s been with those same classmates since he was this high [...] That’s why I’m keeping him home from school. This is a small city with a lot of powerful people. And reputations can be ruined just like that.’ She snaps her fingers together.”

Kanta confides her fears to Lakshmi about what the theater scandal will do to her son. The people most affected by rumormongering are Jaipur’s social elite. Kanta and Manu fall into this category because of their affiliation with the palace. They have an enormous amount to lose if their reputations are tarnished. The fragility of reputations helps explain the number of secrets that are kept in Jaipur.

“The liquor is worming its way into my brain. I take another look around the room. A rich man’s room. The leather-bound books. The gilded clock. A rich man in a rich suit who wants me to protect his son. Now I understand why Ravi wanted me to come. It wasn’t so we could make peace. It was to warn me.”

Samir has just invited Malik into his study for a friendly drink. In reality, he wants to tell his subordinate to stop asking questions about the theater collapse. Malik has spent enough time in the company of rich men to know that they usually have ulterior motives for their actions. Samir is just as vulnerable to the rumor mill as Kanta is. Because reputation means everything in Jaipur, Samir will go to great lengths to safeguard his own.

“‘If we don’t produce it, Manu will be fired for the good of the palace’s public image.’ We’re both quiet for a moment. Then Jay says, ‘The thief that is not caught is a king. You’re going to find the evidence, Lakshmi. Don’t let my old friend Samir get away with being the king here.’”

Lakshmi has just confided her concerns to Jay about finding evidence to clear Manu. In this quote, she emphasizes that public image is the real motive for everyone’s behavior. Just as Kanta and Samir want to preserve their reputations, so does the palace. The most powerful people in the city, who ought to be above such concerns, are equally worried. Because manipulating public perception is the real goal, guilt or innocence becomes irrelevant. The thief who isn’t caught can hold his head up high.

“Manu looked so lost [...] He’d been raised to never question his superiors. Since he’d always been an honest broker, he couldn’t imagine that others might not be the same. For fifteen years, the royal family had employed him. He’d sooner cut his arm off than question their decisions or blame them for anything inappropriate.”

Malik recognizes the same servant mentality in Manu that he once possessed. Respect for authority becomes more important than self-preservation, even when Manu’s future is at stake. Malik perceives Manu as a naive innocent who’s out of his depth while swimming among the sharks who control Jaipur.

“As I take a tonga to the Agarwals’, I ponder Parvati’s certainty; the might, and right, to be imperious is hers, and hers alone. An attitude I thought I had become inured to years ago.”

Lakshmi has just had another vicious encounter with Parvati that parallels their conversation in the first book of the trilogy. Then, as now, Parvati thinks she holds all the cards. However, she fails to recognize that Lakshmi’s position has strengthened since the latter left town. Lakshmi has friends in the palace. She has learned how to serve the needs of the powerful and earn their gratitude. In contrast, Parvati doesn’t recognize that change and still considers herself invincible.

“It still boggles the mind. Here we live in a country where the demand for gold is staggering. Yet, almost none of it is mined here. No wonder the illegal import business is thriving.”

Malik makes this comment right after Moti-Lal explains how much the jewelry business depends on illegal smuggling for its survival. This is another example of the incompetence and corruption at the government level that inevitably lead to bribery and smuggling becoming part of the everyday cost of doing business. While Malik doesn’t directly criticize irrational government policies like the Gold Control Act, his condemnation is clear.

“Twelve years ago, after the dowager hired me to cure the Maharani Latika of her depression, rumors spread—as rapidly as the macaques jumping from tree to tree—of my incredible powers to heal royalty. Everyone wanted a piece of me then.”

Lakshmi recalls the pivotal contact that changed her fortunes in Jaipur. Once she received the patronage of the palace, the rumor mill worked in her favor as “gossip-eaters” spread the word about the miraculous power of her herbal remedies. Clearly, gossip can be a two-edged sword. In addition, the quote implies the eagerness of other social elites in Jaipur to acquire the services of a palace favorite. This connection enhances their own social status and reputation.

“I asked Ravi what we’ll find if we open up the other columns underneath the balcony. He said that we’ll find cheap bricks and badly mixed cement mortar. I said, ‘You lied to me?’ He said I didn’t go into the Indian army like my father, so why should he go into the same business as me? Said he wanted to prove he could succeed at something on his own.”

Samir explains Ravi’s motivation to Lakshmi. Samir tried to exert undue influence over his son, just as Lakshmi did by trying to push Malik into the construction trade and separate him from the girl he loves. Samir’s pressure on his son has an unfortunate side effect: Ravi isn’t as ethical as Malik. While both young men want control of their own lives, Ravi is willing to make his fortune by taking shortcuts. His corrupt behavior could tarnish the Singh family’s reputation if the “gossip-eaters” ever got wind of the story. The only solution is self-imposed exile. Samir learns a difficult lesson about the limits of parental control over the younger generation.

“‘Malik, why did I want you to come to Jaipur?’ ‘To learn the building trade.’ She lowers herself on the veranda porch swing and pats the seat next to her. I sit down. ‘Did you succeed?’ ‘Yes.’ She nods. ‘In your time here you learned enough about the business to know when something isn’t right.’”

Lakshmi has learned something from her conversation with Samir. She sees where her control of him might lead and is prepared to adjust her stance. In this quote, she tells her protégé that he has learned all that’s necessary from Jaipur. In fact, he has learned what not to do in life. Although Malik says he never wanted to leave Shimla in the first place, his time in the big city has been useful. He knows how a person with integrity should behave, and he knows that Shimla is where he belongs.

“Nimmi and I are alike. She’s Hindu but also has no caste. She’s no longer with her people, her tribe. The two of us—we understand what it is to be unmoored [...] Nimmi and I don’t belong. Not truly. To one set of beliefs, one set of traditions.”

Malik explains his decision to have a civil wedding ceremony. He was raised as a Muslim, while Nimmi was raised Hindu. Both are cultural “orphans” even though they’ve found a family with the Kumars. In place of the word “unmoored,” Malik might just as well have said “uprooted.” His desire to expand the healing garden indicates his readiness to set down roots.

“‘Have you achieved the resolution you were hoping for with the Royal Jewel Cinema?’ Auntie-Boss looks off to the side, as if she’s composing her thoughts. Then she says, ‘The ideal outcome is always the preservation of integrity. It’s painful when the consequence of the outcome is so severe.’”

Lakshmi explains her perspective to the dowager maharani. Apparently, Lakshmi has learned something from her visit to Jaipur too. When she first arrived as a henna artist, Lakshmi was dazzled by her clientele’s wealth and power. Even though she left, she was willing to send Malik right back to that world so that he could acquire material advantages. The theater disaster taught her that personal integrity matters more than preserving a false reputation for honesty.