Anne+and+Inder+Lal

The Relationship between Anne and Inder Lal (Abhinav, Pam, So Yeon) >> "I ought to explain that, after our picnic at Baba Firdaus' shrine, there has been a change in my relationship with Inder Lal. He now comes up to my room at night," (121). >> "Inder Lal and I lie on my bedding on the opposite side, and it is more and more delightful to be with him. He trusts me now completely and has become very affectionate," (122).
 * Anne and Inder Lal's relationship takes a rather professional form at the beginning of the novel. After coming to India, Anne meets Inder Lal as he is her landlord. The professional characteristic of their relationship at this stage makes it particularly hard to predict that these two characters will become romantically involved with each other later on in the novel.
 * "Inder Lal is far too polite to voice his disappointment [..] he had lowered lowered his eyes as if afraid of embarrassing me," (6).
 * Because their relationship is formally defined as the one between a landlord and tenant at the beginning when they do not know much about each other, they also seem to be unsure of the boundaries marking their relationship; they are unsure of what is considered acceptable and what is not in such relationship.
 * "I realised that now I had to submit to all the social rules they thought fit to apply to my case," (7).
 * 'Symbiotic' Relationship: the two characters seem to benefit in certain ways from each other. In addition to providing a shelter for Anne to stay while she is in India, Inder Lal is also a 'guide' for Anne, helping her with the adjusting to a new culture and settling in India. At the same time Inder Lal is grateful that he now has someone to confide in - Anne. Inder Lal also tries to learn about the western world through Anne, as shown through his frequent questions regarding their customs and culture with curiosity. Their relationship bridges their cultural differences.
 * "Today being Sunday, Inder Lal kindly offered to take me to Khatm to show me the Nawab's palace [...] neither he nor [his family] seemed to think anything of it," (9)
 * Anne respectfully ensures that she holds onto the flower petals until Inder Lal isn't looking--this depicts her conscious efforts to not taint her friendship with Inder Lal.
 * "But I think by now he has got used to me and perhaps is even rather proud to be seen walking with his English friend. I also think he quite likes my company now [..] he also seems to enjoy our conversations. I certainly do. He is very frank with me and tells me all sorts of personal things: not only about his life but also about his feelings," (43).
 * A close relationship built on a distant one: The level of platonic intimacy is quite high for a married man and a single woman. Inder Lal's weak relationship with his "unintelligent" wife could be causing him to seek out another outlet for his frustrations about work etc. Thus he looks outside the confines of his marriage for a companion, which would be Anne.
 * "He has told me that the only other person he can talk to freely is his mother but even with her--well, he said, with the mother there are certain things one cannot speak as with the friend [...] How is it possible for me to talk with [Ritu] the way I am now talking with you? It is not possible. She would understand nothing," (43-44).
 * Transition! "But now I see that he is not meek and bowed at all--or only outwardly--that really inside himself he is alive and yearning for all sorts of things beyond his reach. It shows mainly in his eyes which are beautiful--full of melancholy and liquid with longing," (44).
 * Anne makes the decisive move to cross the boundary between a platonic relationship with Inder Lal and a sexual/romantic one. Possibly could be Inder Lal's remaining guilt and feelings of responsibility to Ritu that prevent him from making the first move, but when the possibility of a romance is made available by Anne, the responsibility of beginning the affair is taken from him somewhat and he responds readily.
 * "However, at that moment I did have a desire, and a strong one: to get close to him. And since this seemed impossible to do with words, I laid my hand on his. Then we looked at me in an entirely different way. There was no lack of interest now!" (110).
 * After their initial affair, Anne and Lal continue to meet surreptitiously (sort of). The feelings of guilt and effort to maintain some semblance of faithfulness to Ritu that can also account for his insistence in sneaking around to conduct their affair even though all the neighbors know.