Sir Mohan Lal
Sir Mohan is an Indian man with strong ties to Britain
In “Karma” by Khushwant Singh, Sir Mohan Lal is a 50-year-old Indian man - his age is revealed by the fact that Mohan Lal spent five years in England and forty-five in India (p. 181, ll. 24-28). He was educated at Oxford University in England (p. 180, l. 21, p. 181, l. 1), and he is a vizier (usually, an official adviser or minister) and a barrister (a lawyer) (p. 179, l. 28). He has a wife named Lachmi, and no children: “These nocturnal visits, had, however, borne no fruit.” (p. 179, ll. 38-39)
Mohan Lal is wealthy, as he travels first-class and owns a two-storey house (p. 179, ll. 34-35). This is also reflected by his wife’s jewellery, as she has a diamond nose ring, and gold bangles on her arms (p. 179, ll. 7-8).
Mohan Lal’s outer characterisation is constructed through his own words, as he admires his appearance in the mirror at the railway station: “That neatly trimmed moustache – the suit from Savile Row, the carnation in the buttonhole – the aroma of eau de cologne, talcum powder, and scented soap all about you!” (p. 178, ll. 10-12). He also wears a Balliol tie (a tie from his Oxford University college) whenever he is travelling (p. 181, l. 16). These details sug...