Major Characters in ‘Twilight in Delhi’ Novel by Ahmad Ali

ANALYSIS OF MAJOR CHARACTERS

Major Characters in ‘Twilight in Delhi’ Novel 

By Ahmad Ali

Mir Nihal:

Mir Nihal is an old person of sixty-two. His personality reflects the glory of the past Muslim culture. Behind a royal pasture this character has faced many ups and down in his life. Ahmed Ali has delineated his character sketch by fully symbolizing the past, present, and future of Muslim civilization in Delhi. His life represents his lavish lifestyle as he ‘has been found to be interested in his life, his pigeon, and his mistress Babban Jan. These two objects hold basic significance in his life. He's a round character with no active interest in the serious activities of life. His craze for his pigeons is reflected by the snake episode. 

As soon as he catches sight of the snail near the pigeon box, he pulls it out with all his force and strikes it on the ground. Its spine is broken. Furthermore, he takes a stick and crushes the hood due to which the snake dies. His fake victorious expression over the death of the snake is quite mocking in itself because he ‘has never been able to exercise his control over his son, Asghar. Babban Jan is another important role for him. She ‘has acquired the spirit of love and hope for Mir Nihal. As his lavishness is revealed by his pigeon flying in the same way his love for Babban Jan reflects his lustfulness. Over the death of Babban Jan, he loses his consciousness and eventually his hopes. Another episode that proves to be the last nail in the coffin is the ‘death of pigeons. It really proves detrimental to the physical as well as the mental health of Mir Nihal. Wings and scattered parts of the bodies of pigeons were a spectacle of great doom for Mir Nihal. The arrival of a cat in order to kill the pigeons is symbolic of the arrival of destruction in the life of Mir Nihal

When we take an overall view of his personality, we come to know that Mir Nihal's lifestyle reflects the life pattern of fanatic believers of traditions and customs. He's one of those traditionalists who believe in the caste system (as is shown by his opposition to the marriage of Asghar with Bilqeece) and many such taboos and restrictions. That's why he remains narrow-mindedness in which no healthy change may ever occur. His hatred for the British is typical of the Muslims' hatred of their foreign rules. Ahmed Ali has specifically pointed out his paralysis which is highly symbolic. It shows the deterioration of Muslim culture in Delhi. The title of the novel “Twilight in Delhi” is in itself repressing the same trend in the History of Muslim culture. Mir Nihal's hatred for British customs is quite evident in his anger for his son, Asghar. Mir Nihal stops and turns to Asghar and says in an angry tone:

“You are again wearing those dirty English boots! I don't like them. I will have no aping of the Faringis in my house. Throw them away!”

Asghar's resistance to abiding by the old traditions proves to be disastrous for his father. His consciousness suffers a setback from the stubbornness of his son. At the end of the novel, he becomes a symbol of helplessness, fulfillment, and transience.

Asghar:

If Mir Nihal's character (father of Asghar) is symbolic of the adherence to past and conservative values, Asghar's character is symbolic of the change in the attitude of the new generation towards new ideas. That's why his appearance reflects his revolutionary concerns. He's a young man of twenty-two- “a tall and handsome young man with hair well-oiled.......etc.” He seems to be in a mood to lead his life with all the accessories of gay youth. He's in favor of youthful pomp and shows as “his wrist is wrapped a jasmine garland. As he enters his pumps creak. He's the representative of the waywardness of youthful culture. His extreme views about liberty stand in sharp contrast to those of Mir Nihal, who in a great annoying manner discard too much modernism, "You are again wearing those dirty English boats! I don't like them. I will have no aping of the Farangis in my house. Throw them away......!"

Asghar's behavior regarding having a love marriage proves to be debasing for his father. He's mad about his love for Bilqeece and here his lustfulness resembles that of his father. He breaks all the social taboos and restrictions in order to achieve Bilqeece. His recklessness and stubbornness are evident from his total negation of the advice of his father. He is not the one who would surrender in front of social values but is always ready to fulfill his lustful desires either from Mushtari Bai, Bilqeece, or Zohra.

He possesses a poetic taste as well and wants to relish the moments of romance. Contrary to his father, Asghar seems to be an active character on his part. His personality is exposed to such ups and downs in romance that he acquires a character development.

Firstly, he experiences love in a mood to flirt. The courtesan falls in love with him, but he turns her down.

Secondly, he falls in love with Bilqeece and soon wins her love by marrying her. But at the same time, on account of his reckless nature, he gets tired of her love and becomes distressed. His last approach to winning the love of a girl after the death of his beloved wife again shows the third move in his romantic love style. He's not bound to be defeated at all and keeps on winning the next target of love throughout his life. His life symbolizes that aimlessness of youth in which a young man may never think over the serious matters of life. His sole aim in life circles around petty pursuits. As his desire and aim are trivial, the same is their result/consequences. Asghar leads a life of defection away from social sympathy. He feels, there is no pleasure in life and as a consequence, he becomes utterly disappointed.

Mushtari Bai:

While delineating the character sketch of Mushtari Bai, Ahmed Ali has pointed at the two aspects of her personality. Her outward/physical appearance is presented in a wholesome detail, which, in other words, is the detail of most of the prostitutes of her class. Not only her physical charms are described with great skill but also the traits of her personality through which she allures the males of her society. “Her dark eyes were something intense and poisonous..... there was a fine nose bauble studded on her nostril, and in her ears were gold earrings brimming with fresh jasmine flowers………” 

She is a perfect prostitute or one who's an expert in her art/profession. And this thing is manifested in her style, especially when she falls in love with Asghar, but on finding a cold response in his manner, very artistically hides her emotional distress. The second aspect of her personality, especially pointed out by Ahmed Ali is her inner self along with the actual feelings of the prostitute. Her rich utterance of a poetic anecdote clearly reveals the seriousness of her desires. She's too much considerate of human passions. And here she provides a sharp contrast between the feelings of a lustful male and a serious desirousness of a prostitute. Her words:

“We are but travelers on the road;

It matters not if we are dead or alive;

Our life is like a Candle flame:

You had put us out and we had died,

Now you have lighted us we are alight.”

Fully brings to the surface her true attachment to human emotions. She's fully aware of her miserable plight as she's leading a life without any purpose. Her character is a broad symbol of the wretchedness experienced by the prostitute class throughout the sub-continent.

"She was one of the cultured dancing girls and did not live in the quarter of the common whores.......

Babban Jan:

Another significant prostitute in the novel is Babban Jan. She has got similarities as well as differences with the early-mentioned Mushtari Bai. So long as her physical description is concerned, we find her appealing and alluring in the same style as we find in Mushtari Bai. But she's different in her emotional expressions. She's well aware of the male-psychology and traps her victims by using her alluring tricks. Unlike Mushtari Bai, she's not a cultured one. Mir Nihal is found to be fully trapped in her baits. He finds solace and comfort in her arms only. He loves her passionately and has fully accommodated her as his mistress. 

Babban Jan has won his heart in such a way that Mir Nihal is found to be haunted by her love all through his life. Even after her death, he perpetually leads a life of dejection. It shows the height of skillfulness on the part of Babban Jan, who, even after her death has not left Mir Nihal free from her spell.

Bilqeece:

The character of Bilqeece is the most pathetic component of Ahmed Ali's art of characterization. Her character is symbolic of the decline and disillusionment experienced by the modest and innocent girls of those times. She's one of those Muslim girls who were brought up under strict family traditions. She was brought up by her aunt who was an old, religious person. It was an atmospheric effect on her personality that she was away from all sorts of emotional associations. Although she was taught to read and write her study was limited to religious books only. The activities of her life were limited to household chores only.

Thus, she was a girl, brought up in a secluded atmosphere with a lack of social contact. The realities of the outer world were abandoned to her. The only means of revelation for her was playing with dolls. No, what was tragic with that girl was her expected marriage with Asghar who ‘ad turned blind to her love. Unfortunately (looking at the context of the male psychology of those times), she could not express the ways of love. Or she could not understand the intensity of Asghar's love. Her love was filled with homely desires and innocent ideals. After the marriage, though Asghar loved her more than anything in the world she ‘was not romantic at all. This damped Asghar's feelings who once had experienced the love of prostitutes.

Finally, their love and passion started diminishing and Bilqeece became an object of dejection. She used to feel frightened all the time in the house and finally died away. Her life reflects the height of dejection as well as disillusionment prevailing in those times.

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