Question

Character sketch of Manjula Nayak.

Answer 1

Manjula Nayak’s bestselling book features her real-life sister, Malini, who was a victim of meningomyelocele which made her undertake a series of operations, reducing her existence to misery. We find some glimpses of Malini of how she was more intelligent, more attractive and vivacious than the author herself and a very sensitive person. It was as if “she radiated life from the wheelchair to which she was confined.” It was Malini herself who shifted with Manjula in Jayanagar and adjusted herself beautifully to the smaller house.

Answer 2

Manjula Nayak, the protagonist of the story is in her thirties or forties. She has a confident stride, and a flamboyant and superficial self. A lecturer of English in Bangalore she gives up her job as she has received a huge advance for her masterpiece, “The River Has No Memories”.

A little-known face in Kannada, she acquires an international image and inherits problems of loyalty and betrayal. Torn between her success and perceived betrayal of her own language and identity, Manjula Nayak is in a tug-of-war with her own image, as she comes to terms with her choices.

Her love for her crippled sister is genuine. She always has the guilt of being the second choice. She always thinks herself to be inferior to Malini, be it in intelligence or beauty. Towards the end of the drama, the truth unfolds. Manjula has not penned even a word of the novel and has ‘literally’ stolen Malini’s identity, creativity, and language. Apparently, it is her revenge for years of agony.