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Naraya
Lala is a longtime servant of Parvati Singh’s, and a friend of Lakshmi’s; the two women bond about their lives spent serving Jaipur’s most elite ladies. When Lala’s niece has sex with Ravi, Lala loses her job and ends up working in a poor neighborhood, much to Lakshmi’s dismay. By the end of the novel, however, Lakshmi has arranged a job for Lala as Kanta’s new nurse, demonstrating the importance of solidarity among women of the lower classes.
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Lala Character Timeline in The Henna Artist
The timeline below shows where the character Lala appears in The Henna Artist. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
Lakshmi exits the tonga and approaches the house, where Lala, the Singhs’ longtime servant and nanny, greets her. The two are old friends, so Lakshmi...
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...Nehru and participating in calls for the Indo-Soviet league. Once Parvati has finished, she summons Lala and is displeased when Lala’s niece greets her instead. The young servant girl is terrified,...
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...interrupted by a cricket game that Parvati’s son Ravi is playing with his younger brother. Lala hurries in shortly after. Parvati is angry, insisting that Lala should already have sent her...
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...Lakshmi trips, and she turns around to see Kumar looking at her. Lakshmi also notices Lala, who seems even more desperate. But instead of going to meet her, Lakshmi just gets...
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Chapter 6
...she barely touches her creamy, delicious food. After the shows, Lakshmi asks the cooks about Lala—and learns that neither she nor her niece are still employed by the Singhs.
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Chapter 13
...she walks, Lakshmi wonders if Hari works with these women, and she thinks she glimpses Lala’s niece. Finally, she arrives in the European district, where wealthy expats live. Lakshmi knocks on...
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...acknowledges that “we’ve had trouble with servant girls before.” Lakshmi begins to understand why both Lala and her niece were dismissed.
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Chapter 20
...Hari’s abuse back in Ajar. But a familiar voice stops Lakshmi in her tracks: it’s Lala, Parvati’s old servant. Lala explains that her brother is Naraya, and that Ravi impregnated her...
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Lala admits that she wanted Lakshmi’s sachets, but she was too scared to work up the...
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Chapter 21
...can talk about poetry with Kumar and attend school with Malik, who is also joining. Lala could even take over nanny duties for Kanta. Radha considers the proposal.
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