The Secret Keeper of Jaipur

The Secret Keeper of Jaipur and its predecessor both focus on the question of individual autonomy. In the first book, Lakshmi asserts her independence by running away from her marriage and her village to create a life for herself in Jaipur. Unfortunately, she has frequent bouts of guilt for asserting herself. Despite her independent streak, Lakshmi is oblivious to her interference in the lives of others. The rebellious Radha points out that her sister wants to deny her the same freedom of choice. This tension isn’t limited to Lakshmi’s interaction with her sibling. She extends the same benign control over Malik and Nimmi in the second book. Without waiting for his consent, Lakshmi arranges to send Malik to learn the construction trade in Jaipur. Part of Lakshmi’s motivation for doing so is that she’s intent on separating her adopted son from the widow Nimmi; Lakshmi wants her adopted son to marry someone more educated and sophisticated.

Indian culture plays a strong role in Lakshmi’s motivation. Prior to national independence, the country relied on tradition and strong oversight from the older generation in the affairs of a family’s youth. By the 1960s, young people began to question the right of their parents and guardians to decide their futures for them. In the first novel, Sheela refuses to live in the family compound when she marries Ravi. She wants a separate house. This parallels Lakshmi’s obsession with building a house of her own. In the second novel, Ravi’s motivation for smuggling gold and cutting corners in building the theater is that he wants to prove he can manage a business on his own. Although he’s wealthy, he relies on family money and even though Ravi is in his late twenties, his father still orders him about.

Nimmi is similarly motivated by the need to strike out on her own. After her husband died, she decided to separate from her tribe. The village elder wanted to arrange another marriage for her, but she chose to live among the townsfolk in Shimla rather than migrate with her people to pasture their flocks. She’s quick to notice Lakshmi’s’ interference in her love life. In a fevered outburst, she demands that Auntie-Boss stop trying to control Malik’s life: “He deserves to make his own way in the world. It’s time for you to let him go. He needs to hear it from you. Please. He’ll let go if you let go” (189). It might seem counterintuitive that Lakshmi is taken aback by this observation. Like generations of well-meaning elders before her, she thinks she’s doing what’s right for her adopted son. By the end of the novel, she wisely takes Nimmi’s advice and learns to let go.