Kaikeyi

Born as the yuvradnyi of Kekaya, the eldest of her siblings, Kaikeyi is the protagonist of the novel, which also bears her name. Her mother, Kekaya, is banished when she is only 12 years old. After her mother’s banishment, Kaikeyi takes on the responsibility for fulfilling the roles of the radnyi and for raising her younger brothers. From a young age, Kaikeyi is independent. She uses the scrolls her mother showed her to learn about the Binding Plane, allowing her to manipulate her relationships. These manipulations help her succeed in her duties as yuvradnyi. Patel characterizes her as a staunch feminist, and she believes herself equal to her brothers, lamenting that her father refuses to see her that way. Her feminist beliefs make her son’s misogynist tendencies even more painful for her and motivate her to continue trying to guide him toward the right path, pointing to the novel’s thematic exploration of Subverting the Prescribed Roles of Women in a Patriarchy. Kaikeyi is gods-touched, meaning the gods have no control over her, so she manages to escape Rama’s influence and to fight off the other gods (such as Shishir) who seek to stop her from seeking equality in Kosala.