The Recipe for Loyalty

Sister of My Heart

by Chitra Divarkaruni

An exploration of the theme of loyalty through plot in literature

Loyalty is like the universe—it is just as endless, and there is no origin to look back on; its legacy is just as immense. How does loyalty evolve in relationships between people, whether it is the devotion between two individuals, or the dedication of an entire populace to its country? The answer lies within each and every one of us, and it is always different—its potential is explored in Sister of My Heart, a compelling novel by Chitra Divarkaruni, where the concept of loyalty is expanded through relationships between its intricate, genuine characters. Set in the traditional Indian society where loyalty is a bond not to be muddled with, this novel suggests the extremes to which loyalty can be taken to, but also the limits of its existence. Loyalty—both fragile yet almighty—is the most important theme of the novel, marked by its influence on the plot and character development. The theme of loyalty is developed especially through Ashok’s relationship with Sudha, Sudha’s and Anju’s relationship, and Sighji’s devoted relationship to Sudha’s entire family.

“If you are not too long, I will wait here for you all my life,”—this should send a spark of recognition to anyone who has ever read Sister of My Heart. While Oscar Wilde had not read it, he brought the concept of the extent of loyalty to words just as efficiently. In the novel, the extremes and limit of loyalty is depicted within the relationship of Ashok and Sudha. When Sudha is forced to agree to an arranged marriage, the heartbroken Ashok, unsuspecting at first, grew determined to wait for her for as long as it takes. It is especially important to note that Ashok and Sudha had barely known each other, and hadn’t had a lot of contact in their relationship due to numerous difficulties. Therefore, Ashok didn’t hold an expectancy of being so strongly bonded to Sudha—but he was. And after her marriage with a man she didn’t love, for her love belonged only to him, Ashok waited for her love for five years. Offers to marry, which he easily declined, had no effect on him, even though he could have successfully been paired with another bride. But his loyalty, his devoted attachment to Sudha disabled him from taking such actions, even when she was expecting a child with her husband. Yet… when he finally reunited with Sudha, he requested that she gave up her child to the mothers’ care so she could be with him. This is the limit of loyalty that he had for Sudha—it does not extend to her beloved child. And when she traveled to America, did he attempt to accompany her? Not at all—he abandoned Sudha and Dayita in their embrace of this unfamiliar and challenging change, alone. What had expanded this concept of limited loyalty even more wasn’t Ashok’s ultimatum, but Sudha’s own decision which shortly followed his: “But when I write to Ashok that I cannot give Dayita up, no matter how much I love him, it is with an unfaltering hand.” To Sudha, the welfare of her child was worth more than loyalty to Ashok. However, there is one loyalty that is eternally mutual—it is that between Sudha and Anju.

“Suppose I weren’t who you thought I was… would you still love me?”—the courage Sudha manifested with this question of loyalty was marked the frightening possibilities of its answer. When Sudha uncovers an appalling family secret, she is forced to cope with the fact Anju is not her sister by birth. Both girls’ mutual loyalty for each other is tested by this discovery, because both are plunged in unpleasant situations that put the intimacy of their relationship at stake. Anju is bewildered by Sudha’s sudden display of apathy toward her—Sudha starts to doubt their relationship, unsure of what it’s really based on—yet Anju remains to have the same feeling for her. Sudha is still loyal to her as well, despite the secret she had found out; her actions after the finding are justified by her confusion. For instance, when Anju offers her the earrings, “she shakes her head, a gesture that tries to be nonchalant but only appears being sad”. This gives further insight into how deeply Sudha is grieved by the fact she and Anju are not part of one family, and can no longer have loyalty for each other in that way. Ironically, as a result of Sudha’s reaction to her discovery, the loyalty between the two girls only strengthens because Anju shows that she trusts Sudha completely in not telling her what she knows. What especially signifies the loyalty between the “sisters” though, is their loyalty to each other, no matter in what directions they grow apart. “Loyalty means nothing unless it has at its heart the absolute principle of self-sacrifice.”—which is what their relationship was based on; ultimate self-sacrifice for each other, the concept of which is so precisely expressed by the words of Woodraw T. Wilson. What greater loyalty can there be? Well, selfless loyalty to an entire family, perhaps.

Isn’t loyalty what would cause one to swallow one’s pride and be with one’s family as a servant if having to choose between that fate and not being able to see the family at all? Sudha’s father, Gopal, found himself in that situation—“The only way I could be with them now was as their servant”—he had written, presently as Singhji. Despite his cowardly nature, Sudha’s father had loved and had loyalty for his family, and even though he could not be part of it, he wanted to be as much assistance to them as he possibly could. Thus he became Singhji’s, the family’s driver, and had numerously shown kindness to the two girls—Sudha and Anju—and especially to Sudha when she was communicating with Ashok. Because Gopal could not recreate himself after the return from his adventure, he sacrificed his wealth and identity for his family in order to lift the burden of his own inadequacy from them. The loyalty he had exemplified is not apparent but carries the depth of the sea; it shows how deep one can be devoted to one’s family for so many years, even after one has disgraced himself/herself before them.

TO BE CONTINUED