Rekha Merchant Character Analysis in The Satanic Verses

Rekha Merchant is the wife of a wealthy businessman who becomes Gibreel’s lover after he moves into her building. When Gibreel abruptly ends their relationship and abandons her, Rekha kills herself by leaping to her death from her apartment with her children. This act casts a long shadow over Gibreel’s life and contributes to his unraveling mental state. Throughout the novel, Rekha returns as a spectral figure who torments Gibreel, appearing in his hallucinations and dreams to mock him and remind him of his betrayals and moral failures.

Rekha Merchant Character Timeline in The Satanic Verses

The timeline below shows where the character Rekha Merchant appears in The Satanic Verses. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...while Gibreel is positioned upright. While Gibreel is holding on to Saladin, Gibreel’s deceased lover, Rekha, appears on a flying carpet. To Gibreel’s surprise, Saladin cannot see or hear Rekha. Gibreel... (full context)

...and the note are widely reported on because he is such a prominent figure. Meanwhile, Rekha lives in the apartment below Gibreel with her husband and two children. When she hears... (full context)

...women, become smitten with Gibreel—he seems godlike. During this period, Gibreel begins his affair with Rekha, whom he meets after moving into Everest Vilas. Rekha’s husband is an international businessman who... (full context)

...a beautiful blonde woman, and falls in love. Immediately after, he ends his relationship with Rekha to focus on Alleluia. However, after seeing Alleluia for only a short time, their relationship... (full context)

...train, where he tries to collect his thoughts. However, his peace is quickly interrupted when Rekha Merchant appears outside the window on a flying carpet. Her presence, unnoticed by others, only... (full context)

Gibreel arrives in London exhausted and scared, as Rekha follows him everywhere he goes. Gibreel runs frantically through the Underground, convinced that the stations... (full context)

As Gibreel walks around London, Rekha continues to haunt him. She appears beside him, throwing insults and accusing Allie of being... (full context)

...He becomes increasingly unhappy and unwell, especially when the police begin investigating his involvement in Rekha’s death. (full context)

...India for a mountaineering trip. While in Bombay, Allie stays in the same building where Rekha had taken her own life by jumping from the roof with her child. Gibreel confronts... (full context)