Tara (Act II): WBCHSE Class 12 English answers, notes

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Get summaries, questions, answers, solutions, notes, extras, PDF and guides for Mahesh Dattani’s play/drama Tara (Act II): WBCHSE Class 12 English Literature textbook A Realm of English (B) Selection, which is part of the Semester IV syllabus for students studying under WBBSE (West Bengal Board-Uccha Madhyamik). These solutions, however, should only be treated as references and can be modified/changed.

Summary

The story is about twin siblings named Chandan and Tara. They were born physically connected to each other and were separated by doctors when they were babies. As a result, both of them grew up with a disability and had to use an artificial leg. The story is told by Chandan years later, after he has grown up and moved to London. He now calls himself Dan and is trying to write a play to understand his past and the guilt he feels.

The play shows memories of their teenage years in India. Their family life was filled with hidden tensions. Their mother, Bharati, was extremely protective of Tara, constantly worrying about her health and trying to make her life better. Their father, Patel, was a distant man who wanted Chandan to be strong and take over the family business. He often argued with Bharati about how to raise the children. The family’s unhappiness was a secret they tried to keep inside their home.

A terrible secret is at the center of the family’s pain. When the twins were born, they shared three legs. The doctors knew that the third leg had a better chance of being successfully attached to the girl, Tara. However, their mother and grandfather wanted to give the boy, Chandan, a better chance at a “whole” life. They made a secret deal and paid the doctor to attach the third leg to Chandan. The surgery was a failure. Chandan’s body rejected the leg, and it had to be removed. This decision left both twins with only one leg each. More tragically, it caused Tara to have serious health problems for her entire life. The leg that was unfairly given to Chandan is a metaphor for the preference and opportunities given to boys over girls.

This secret decision destroyed the family. Tara’s health grew worse, and she eventually died. Bharati, overwhelmed with guilt for what she had done to her daughter, had a mental breakdown. Chandan, unable to face his part in the tragedy, ran away to London and changed his name to Dan. He tried to forget his sister and his past.

In the end, Dan realizes that he cannot escape his memories. He understands that to heal, he must tell Tara’s story, not his own. He feels he stole her leg and then her story. The play closes with a powerful image. Dan imagines he and Tara are together again, but this time they are whole. They hug and forgive each other. This final scene suggests that they were always two halves of the same person, and only by facing the truth and finding forgiveness can they finally be at peace.

Textbook solutions

1. Who is the protagonist of the play Tara? Why do you consider so?

Answer: The protagonist of the play is Tara.

I consider Tara to be the protagonist because the entire play is named after her and its central conflict revolves around her life, her physical and emotional struggles, and the devastating family secret that has shaped her existence. The narrative explores the consequences of a decision made during the surgical separation of the conjoined twins, Tara and Chandan. This decision, which left Tara with significant physical challenges, is the core of the play’s tragedy. The actions and emotional states of all other major characters are defined by their relationship to Tara and the injustice she has suffered. Her mother, Bharati, displays an overwhelming affection that stems from a deep-seated guilt, while her father, Patel, is tormented by his failure to prevent the unethical choice. Her twin brother, Chandan, who later becomes the writer Dan, is so haunted by their shared past that his life’s work becomes an attempt to document and understand their story, which he acknowledges is fundamentally her tragedy. The play culminates in the revelation that the family, driven by patriarchal preference, chose to sacrifice Tara’s health for her brother’s. The final scene, where Dan seeks forgiveness from Tara for making her story his tragedy, confirms that she is the central figure whose suffering is the source of the entire drama.

2. Justify the title of the play Tara.

Answer: The title of the play, “Tara,” is entirely justified as the character of Tara is the absolute center of the narrative, and her story embodies all of the play’s major themes. The plot is driven by the consequences of the surgical separation she and her twin brother, Chandan, underwent as infants. The central conflict is the hidden truth behind this surgery: a third leg, which was biologically more viable for Tara, was given to Chandan due to the patriarchal desires of her mother and grandfather. This act of gender discrimination and the subsequent lifelong physical and emotional pain it causes Tara is the primary subject of the play.

Furthermore, Tara’s existence is the axis around which all other characters revolve. Her mother Bharati’s guilt manifests as an obsessive, cloying love, which ultimately leads to a nervous breakdown. Her father Patel lives with the shame of his complicity, which he finally confesses at the end of the play. Tara’s twin, Chandan, is so deeply affected by the injustice that he dedicates his adult life as a writer, Dan, to telling their story. He explicitly states that he must take something from Tara and make her anguish his tragedy. The play’s final moments are his plea for Tara’s forgiveness, which solidifies that the story is hers.

The title also carries a significant symbolic weight. The name “Tara” means “star” in Hindi. This is used with bitter irony throughout the play. In a moment of crushing revelation, after learning of her mother’s betrayal, Tara recalls that her mother used to call her a star. This highlights the tragic difference between the love and value she should have received and the reality of being sacrificed for her brother. Because the play is a deep exploration of the injustice inflicted upon this specific character and the ripple effects of that tragedy on her entire family, no title could be more fitting than “Tara.”

Additional Questions and Answers

1. What is the “certain beatitude” in Bharati’s affection for Tara at the start of Act II? How is this affection later revealed to be complex?

Answer: The “certain beatitude” in Bharati’s affection for Tara refers to the seemingly pure, blissful, and almost holy love she demonstrates at the beginning of Act II. She calls Tara her “beautiful baby” and her “most beautiful baby,” telling her she loves her very much. This affection seems selfless, especially when she tells Tara that everything will be all right now that she is giving a part of herself to her, implying a deep, sacrificial love. This creates an image of a mother’s perfect and saintly devotion to her child.

This affection is later revealed to be far more complex and rooted in guilt. Roopa discloses that Bharati did not just ask her to be Tara’s friend but actually bribed her with gifts like lipsticks and magazines. This suggests Bharati felt a desperate need to compensate for something. The ultimate complexity is revealed in Patel’s confession that Bharati, along with her father, made the unethical decision to give both viable legs to Chandan, risking Tara’s life. This choice was based on a preference for a male child, not on pure love for Tara. Therefore, her intense affection is shown to be a complicated mix of love and a profound, overcompensating guilt for her role in the tragic decision that maimed her daughter.

2. Describe the contents of the scrapbook Dan looks through. What is the significance of the news cuttings and the photograph?

Answer: The scrapbook that Dan looks through is an old book his father gave him just before he left. It is filled with the family’s history as documented by the media. It contains all their news cuttings, with Dr. Thakkar featuring in the headlines. There are also interviews with his mother and father. Most painfully for Dan, it includes what he calls a “hideous photograph” of him and Tara, showing them both before and after their separation surgery.

The significance of these contents lies in the contrast between the public perception and the private reality of the family’s trauma. The news cuttings create a public narrative of a medical miracle, calling the twins the “longest surviving pair of Siamese twins” and highlighting Tara’s “miracle” recovery. This public story turns their personal suffering into a spectacle, which Dan finds distasteful, comparing the publicity to that of the Elephant Man. The scrapbook symbolizes the facade of bravery and success that was presented to the world, while hiding the ugly truth of the family’s choices, guilt, and the immense pain that Dan and Tara actually endured.

3. How does Dan’s narration about the scrapbook contrast with the scene between Bharati and Tara? What effect does this create?

Answer: Dan’s narration about the scrapbook creates a stark contrast with the preceding scene between Bharati and Tara. The opening scene is intensely private, emotional, and filled with Bharati’s declarations of pure, beatific love for Tara. It is a tender moment that suggests a deep and uncomplicated mother-daughter bond. Immediately following this, the scene cross-fades to Dan, whose narration shifts the tone from private emotion to public spectacle. He talks about “news cuttings,” “headlines,” and excessive “publicity,” framing their lives as a media story.

This sharp juxtaposition creates a powerful sense of dramatic irony. The audience has just witnessed a moment of seemingly perfect maternal love, but Dan’s cynical and pained perspective immediately makes us question the authenticity of that scene. It suggests that the family’s reality is much more complicated and painful than the tender image presented. The effect is to unsettle the audience and signal that the beautiful facade of love and family unity is fragile and perhaps even false. It forces the viewer to see the characters not just as family members, but as subjects of a public drama, blurring the line between genuine feeling and performance.

4. What medical complications regarding the twins’ conjoinment does Dr. Thakkar initially describe? What was his prognosis?

Answer: Dr. Thakkar describes several significant medical complications regarding the twins’ conjoinment. He explains that the pelvic region was a major problem. There was only one bladder and one rectum, and both of these vital organs belonged to the boy, Chandan. This meant that for the girl, Tara, an artificial bladder and rectum would have to be constructed. He mentions that later on, one could be fashioned from her own intestinal tissues. Another complication was that the boy’s lungs were not fully developed.

Despite these serious issues, Dr. Thakkar’s initial prognosis was quite positive. He considered these complications to be “minor details” when looking at the overall scope of the surgery. He stated that the prognosis was, on the whole, “favourable to both” twins. He believed that nature had already done a “near-complete job” in forming them and that medical science could simply “finish it for her.” He concluded that, from a theoretical standpoint, the separation was entirely possible.

5. Describe Tara’s return home from the hospital. How does she behave, and what does this reveal about her personality?

Answer: Upon her return home from the hospital, Tara behaves with a theatrical and witty flair. When her friends Chandan and Roopa welcome her with bouquets, she accepts them “grandly.” Instead of being subdued or weak, she immediately launches into a performance, imitating an Oscar winner giving an acceptance speech. She playfully thanks her agent, her parents, and her brother. She then waves the bouquet at Roopa and declares that she is winning the “Oscar” for her.

This behavior reveals a great deal about Tara’s personality. It shows that she is not a passive victim of her circumstances. Instead, she is resilient, charismatic, and possesses a sharp sense of humor. She uses performance and wit as a coping mechanism to deal with the constant medical procedures and the attention they bring. Her “Oscar winner” act is her way of taking control of the narrative of her life, transforming a moment of potential pity into one of triumph and humor. It shows her strength and her refusal to be defined solely by her physical condition.

6. What is the significance of Tara’s “Oscar winner” speech? What does it reveal about her relationship with her family?

Answer: Tara’s “Oscar winner” speech is significant because it is her unique way of coping with the trauma and public nature of her life. By turning her return from surgery into a glamorous awards ceremony, she reclaims the event on her own terms. It is a defense mechanism that allows her to face a difficult situation with humor and strength rather than with self-pity. The “Oscar” she is “winning” is a metaphor for her survival and her endurance through yet another painful ordeal, highlighting how her life has been a series of public performances of recovery.

The speech reveals the complex and interdependent nature of her relationship with her family. She thanks her “wonderful people, my mum and dad,” and specifically her “wonderful brother,” whom she hugs while acknowledging that the operation would “never have been made” without his “glorious presence.” This line, while seemingly affectionate, is layered with irony, as it points to the fact that their conjoined existence is the very reason for the surgery. It shows their deep connection but also hints at the underlying tensions and the performative aspect of their family life, where they must all play their parts in the ongoing drama.

7. Why does Patel ask Roopa and Chandan to leave? What does this suggest about the family’s situation?

Answer: Patel asks Roopa to leave because he and Chandan need to tell Tara some very difficult news in private. After Tara goes to her room, Roopa asks if Tara is unaware of something, and Chandan confirms that they have not told her yet. The news is that her mother, Bharati, has had a nervous breakdown and is in the hospital. Patel wants to break this news to Tara gently and without the presence of an outsider like Roopa, who is known for her gossipy nature.

This action suggests that the Patel family is in a state of deep crisis and is extremely protective of its privacy. The situation is incredibly fragile, and Patel understands the need to handle the conversation with Tara with great care. His desire to remove Roopa from the house indicates a need to close ranks and deal with their immense problems internally. It shows that their family life is fraught with pain and secrets that they cannot afford to have exposed to the casual, prying eyes of the outside world.

8. How does Patel explain Bharati’s absence to Tara? How does Tara react to this news?

Answer: The play does not show Patel explaining Bharati’s absence directly. Instead, the conversation is mimed on stage while Roopa, outside, gossips on the phone. Roopa’s speech reveals the content of the news being broken to Tara: that her mother has had a “nervous breakdown” and has “gone completely loony.” The audience understands that Patel and Chandan are telling Tara that her mother is unwell and has been hospitalized.

Tara’s reaction to the news is one of profound pain and hurt. The stage directions indicate that she “looks up at her father. A look of pain.” Her immediate verbal reaction, after she comes out of her room, is sarcastic and bitter: “Oh, this is terrific. Mummy doesn’t even come to say hello.” This shows her deep sense of abandonment and disappointment. Later, she is described as “looking very depressed,” and she tearfully tells Chandan that all she wants is to “stay with mummy at the hospital,” revealing the depth of her distress and her longing for her mother.

9. What is Roopa’s role in the play? How does her gossip about the Patel family contribute to the drama?

Answer: Roopa’s role in the play is multifaceted. Primarily, she serves as a representative of the superficial and intrusive outside world. She is a fair-weather friend whose interest in the family is driven by curiosity and personal gain. She also functions as a key narrative device, providing the audience with crucial information and exposition through her gossiping. Her character is a source of conflict, instigating arguments and ultimately delivering a cruel revelation that shatters Tara’s world.

Her gossip is essential to the dramatic structure of the play. For instance, her phone conversation with Prema informs the audience about Bharati’s nervous breakdown at the exact moment Tara is learning the news herself. This creates a powerful layer of dramatic irony and tension. Her judgmental comments, such as calling the family “crazy” and Bharati “bonkers,” provide an external, unsympathetic perspective on their tragedy. Her final, spiteful confession that she was bribed to be Tara’s friend is a turning point in the play, exposing the depth of the family’s dysfunction and triggering the final emotional collapse.

10. How does Chandan try to cheer Tara up after she learns about her mother? What does their interaction reveal about their bond?

Answer: After Tara learns the devastating news about her mother, Chandan finds her sitting alone and looking very depressed. To cheer her up, he tries to engage her with one of his typical jokes. He recounts an interaction with a “socialite lady” at his physiotherapy session, telling Tara how he made a clever remark at the woman’s expense, calling her “brain cell impaired.” He taps Tara, urging her to guess the punchline, and laughs at his own joke, clearly hoping his humor will lift her spirits.

This interaction reveals the deep and supportive, yet complex, bond between the twins. Chandan’s attempt, though clumsy, shows his genuine care for Tara and his desire to ease her pain. He instinctively falls back on his role as the witty entertainer to protect her. However, Tara’s initial irritated refusal to play along shows that her grief is too profound to be soothed by simple jokes. Their exchange highlights their codependency; he is her emotional caretaker, and she is the audience he needs for his own validation, revealing a bond forged through shared trauma and mutual reliance.

11. Why does Tara refuse to go to college? What are the multiple reasons she gives for her decision?

Answer: Tara gives several overlapping reasons for her refusal to go to college, stemming from her emotional state, practical health concerns, and her relationship with Chandan.

Her most immediate reason is the emotional turmoil over her mother’s hospitalization. She tearfully states that she does not want to do anything except “stay with mummy at the hospital.”

She also raises a practical objection based on her chronic health issues. She argues that there is “no point in my going to college if I have to drop out halfway through or stay away for days not knowing when.” This shows her realistic understanding of the disruptions her condition causes.

Finally, her refusal becomes an act of rebellion against her codependent relationship with Chandan. When he declares he will not go without her, she pushes back, saying she is not going to college for his sake and he should not refuse to go for hers. This is her attempt to assert her independence and break their pattern of mutual dependency.

12. How does Chandan react to Tara’s decision not to attend college? What does this show about his dependence on her?

Answer: Chandan’s reaction to Tara’s decision is immediate and uncompromising. The moment she says she doesn’t want to go, he declares, “If she isn’t, I’m not going either.” He later reinforces this, telling her, “I just don’t feel like joining without you.” He holds firm to this decision even when their father presents a clear and promising plan for his future education in England, showing that his refusal is not a whim.

This reaction clearly demonstrates his deep psychological and emotional dependence on Tara. Having spent their entire lives physically and emotionally intertwined, he is terrified of facing a new and challenging environment like college by himself. Tara correctly identifies this fear, accusing him of being scared that he “can’t do very much on your own.” His refusal to go to college without her is not for her sake, as he claims, but for his own. It reveals his insecurity and his reliance on her presence for his own sense of stability and confidence.

13. What does Patel reveal about the grandfather’s will? How does this inheritance create a new point of conflict between the twins?

Answer: Patel reveals a deeply discriminatory detail about the maternal grandfather’s will. He informs the twins that their grandfather has left all his wealth to them, but the distribution is unequal. He states that a lot of money was left to Chandan, but when Chandan asks about Tara’s share, Patel replies, “Nothing.” While they both inherit the family home in Bangalore, the monetary inheritance was given exclusively to the male twin.

This revelation creates a significant new point of conflict between the twins because it is the first time they are confronted with a tangible, financial manifestation of the gender bias that has shadowed their lives. Tara is visibly hurt and angered by this blatant act of being valued less than her brother. The unequal inheritance drives a wedge between them, highlighting the painful reality that even within their own family, the boy was privileged over the girl. It brings the abstract theme of patriarchal preference into sharp, undeniable focus, adding another layer of injustice to Tara’s suffering.

14. What does Patel mean when he tells the twins to “burn the whole place down” referring to the house in Bangalore? What emotions does this reveal?

Answer: When Patel tells the twins to “burn the whole place down,” he is using a powerful metaphor to express his desire to destroy the painful memories and toxic legacy associated with that house. The house in Bangalore belonged to their maternal grandfather, the man who disinherited Tara and, as is later revealed, orchestrated the unethical surgery. For Patel, the house symbolizes the source of his family’s destruction—the place where corrupt, patriarchal values led to a decision that ruined their lives. Burning it down represents a wish to completely erase that history of pain, guilt, and injustice.

This violent and desperate command reveals the depth of Patel’s emotions. It shows his immense anger, profound guilt, and overwhelming sense of helplessness. He is enraged at his father-in-law and at himself for his own weakness in not stopping the tragedy. The instruction to burn the house is an outburst of his repressed grief and regret. It is a raw expression of his wish that he could undo the past and obliterate all physical reminders of the terrible wrong that was committed.

15. Of what does Tara accuse Chandan when he refuses to go to college without her? How does Chandan react to this accusation?

Answer: When Chandan refuses to attend college without her, Tara accuses him of being a coward who is afraid of being on his own. She tells him directly, “You’re scared. You’re scared you’ll find out you can’t do very much on your own!” She further elaborates on this accusation, stating that he is “afraid of meeting new people” who won’t already know him and his story. She claims he is afraid that new people won’t see beyond his physical appearance to recognize how clever he is.

Chandan’s reaction to this accusation is initially defensive, but it quickly turns to anger because her words have clearly struck a nerve. He retorts, “Well, I’m sorry. Not everyone has your strength!” This response is both an attack on Tara and a subtle admission of his own insecurity. He feels exposed and hurt by her accusation, which has uncovered the deep-seated fear and dependency that he normally conceals behind his jokes and intellectual persona. The argument that follows shows just how deeply her words have affected him.

16. Describe the argument between Tara and Chandan about being afraid of meeting new people. What insecurities does it expose in both of them?

Answer: The argument between Tara and Chandan is a raw and emotional confrontation about their shared fears. Tara initiates it by accusing Chandan of being a coward, afraid to face the world without her as a social shield. She claims he is scared of meeting new people who might judge him for his physical disability and not see his intelligence.

This argument exposes deep insecurities in both characters. It reveals Chandan’s profound fear of being judged solely on his appearance and his reliance on Tara’s presence for social and emotional validation. He is not as confident as his witty remarks suggest. At the same time, the argument forces Tara to admit her own vulnerability. After pushing Chandan, she confesses, “I’m scared as hell too! I wish I was back with our schoolmates. It took me years to show them how stupid they were!” This reveals that her own confidence is a hard-won facade and that she is just as terrified as he is of having to start over and prove her worth in a new environment. The fight shows that beneath their bickering, they share the same fundamental insecurity about how the world sees them.

17. What wishes do Tara and Chandan make when they are looking at the sky? What do their respective wishes reveal about their deepest desires?

Answer: When looking at the sky, Tara and Chandan make wishes that reveal their fundamentally different ways of coping with their reality. Chandan’s wish is abstract and poetic. When asked what he would wish for, he says, “Oh, I would wish for the stars!” This wish reflects his identity as a writer and a dreamer, someone who often escapes into the world of ideas and imagination. It signifies a longing for something grand, beautiful, and perhaps unattainable—a life beyond their physical and emotional constraints.

Tara’s wish, in contrast, is painfully concrete and rooted in her physical reality. She says she would wish for “two of them,” and when Chandan misunderstands, she clarifies she means “the real ones.” She is wishing for two real, functioning legs. This wish reveals that her deepest and most urgent desire is for physical wholeness. Unlike Chandan’s romantic wish, hers is not about escaping reality but about changing it. It starkly illustrates that her primary struggle and her greatest longing are tied directly to her body and her desire for a normalcy that has been denied to her.

18. What is Dan’s reflection as he makes notes on Chopin’s music? What does it reveal about his state of mind?

Answer: While making notes on Chopin’s Prelude, Dan, the adult Chandan, shares a somber reflection with the audience. He observes, “People who know they are dying have such a deep understanding of life. And a sense of attachment to it.” This thought is directly linked to the music and his memories of Tara.

This reflection reveals that Dan is in a melancholic and philosophical state of mind. He is looking back at the past, specifically at Tara’s life and eventual death, with a sense of sorrowful wisdom that has come with time and loss. He is trying to process his grief and her suffering by elevating it into a profound, artistic observation about life and mortality. His state of mind is that of a writer deeply immersed in the tragedy of his past, attempting to find meaning and structure in the painful chaos of his memories as he struggles to write his play.

19. Why does Roopa bring up the film ‘Sophie’s Choice’? How does the discussion about the film foreshadow the play’s central secret?

Answer: Roopa brings up the film ‘Sophie’s Choice’ for a superficial reason: she considers it a “class film with Meryl Streep” and thinks it would be good entertainment to watch with Chandan. She is not aware of the deeper, painful relevance the film’s theme has to the Patel family.

The discussion about the film serves as a powerful and chilling instance of foreshadowing. Chandan explains the plot, describing how a mother in a Nazi concentration camp was forced to make an impossible choice: to save one of her children and condemn the other to death. The conversation then turns to a hypothetical question about choosing between a boy and a girl. This entire scenario directly mirrors the secret at the heart of the play: that Bharati, their mother, was forced into a similar, terrible choice between her two children, a choice that was influenced by gender. The discussion of ‘Sophie’s Choice’ plants the seed of this horrific parental dilemma in the audience’s mind, preparing them for the devastating truth that will be revealed later.

20. How do Roopa’s and Chandan’s answers differ when asked to choose between a boy and a girl? What does this reveal about their characters?

Answer: When Chandan poses the hypothetical question of choosing between a boy and a girl, Roopa’s and Chandan’s answers are starkly different and reveal much about their characters.

Roopa’s answer is immediate and thoughtless. She exclaims, “A boy definitely!” Her reasoning is entirely frivolous: she is tired of her all-girls’ school and would want a boyfriend. This response shows her to be superficial, self-absorbed, and unthinkingly aligned with conventional societal gender preferences. She fails to grasp the moral weight of the question.

Chandan’s answer, when the question is turned back on him, is thoughtful and equitable. He murmurs, “Mmm… I would be happy with either one.” This reveals him to be a more sensitive and fair-minded character. Unlike Roopa, he does not automatically privilege one gender over the other. His response shows an inherent sense of justice and compassion, which stands in tragic contrast to the prejudiced decision that ultimately shaped his and Tara’s lives.

21. Describe the confrontation between Chandan and Roopa. What does Roopa accuse him of, and how does Tara’s arrival change the situation?

Answer: The confrontation between Chandan and Roopa occurs when they are listening to music together. Chandan awkwardly moves his hand towards her, and when the music stops, Roopa jumps up and accuses him of being a “horrible thing.” Chandan, hurt, insists that she was leading him on. The argument quickly escalates, with Roopa calling him a “cheat” and a “fraud.”

Roopa’s accusation becomes extremely serious and false. She calls him a “real monster” and then claims that he “practically raped me,” calling him a “raper.” This is a vicious lie designed to inflict maximum damage.

Tara’s arrival at the door at this very moment completely shifts the dynamic of the confrontation. Roopa immediately changes her tactic, playing the role of a tearful victim. She cries out, “Oh, Tara! You’ve come just in time!” This transforms the argument from a two-way fight into a three-way drama, where Roopa attempts to manipulate the situation by gaining Tara’s sympathy and positioning Chandan as the villain.

22. How does Tara use the story of her school friend Deepa? What does this story reveal about Tara’s character and her past behaviour?

Answer: Tara uses the story of her school friend Deepa as a calculated and cruel weapon against Roopa. After telling Roopa that “it’s good to know what hurts other people,” she recounts the story of discovering that Deepa, her classmate, wet her bed. Tara explains how she used this secret as leverage, never explicitly telling anyone but ensuring Deepa knew she could, thus forcing Deepa to do her homework for her. She tells this story to intimidate Roopa and demonstrate her own capacity for ruthlessness.

This story reveals a darker, more manipulative side of Tara’s character. It shows that, as a result of the cruelty she has endured, she has learned to be cruel herself as a means of survival and control. Her behavior with Deepa was a form of blackmail. It demonstrates that her witty and strong personality is also accompanied by a sharp, calculating mind that understands human vulnerability and is not afraid to exploit it. It is a glimpse into the hardening effect that a lifetime of being a victim has had on her.

23. What secret does Tara reveal about Roopa? How does this revelation destroy their friendship and expose Roopa’s motives?

Answer: After finishing her threatening story about Deepa, Tara turns her cruelty directly on Roopa. She reveals a deeply personal and embarrassing secret by asking her, “So how does it feel having one tit smaller than the other?” She adds that the asymmetry is very noticeable from certain angles, twisting the knife further.

This malicious revelation completely destroys their supposed friendship. Roopa is stunned into silence and then erupts in fury. The act is so vicious that it provokes Roopa into revealing her true motives. In her rage, Roopa confesses that she never came to see Tara out of genuine friendship but because Tara’s “loony mother used to give me things,” such as “Charlie bottles, lipsticks, magazines.” This exposes the fact that their entire friendship was a sham, a transaction based on bribes. Roopa’s presence was bought, and her pity was conditional, not genuine.

24. What does Roopa reveal about Bharati before she leaves? How does this information re-contextualize Bharati’s relationship with Tara?

Answer: In a final, furious outburst before she leaves, Roopa reveals a devastating truth to Tara. She screams, “I only come here because your mother asked me to. No, she didn’t ask me, she bribed me to be your best friend. Yes, your loony mother used to give me things. Charlie bottles, lipsticks, magazines.”

This information completely re-contextualizes Bharati’s relationship with Tara. The intense, seemingly pure love and “beatitude” that Bharati showed earlier in the act is now revealed to be intertwined with a deep and desperate guilt. It suggests that Bharati was so aware of the wrong that had been done to Tara, and perhaps so conscious of Tara’s resulting isolation, that she felt she had to literally buy a friend for her daughter. Her affection was not just simple love; it was an ongoing, frantic attempt to compensate for a terrible betrayal, showing her love to be flawed, guilt-ridden, and tragic.

25. How does Tara’s outburst against Roopa reflect her own pain and insecurities? What does she mean by calling Roopa “ugly”?

Answer: Tara’s furious outburst against Roopa is a direct reflection of her own lifelong pain and insecurities. When she screams at Roopa, she threatens to tell everyone her secret so they will “look at your tits the same way they looked at my leg!” This line shows that she is projecting her own trauma—the experience of being stared at, judged, and made to feel like a freak because of her body—onto Roopa. Her rage is fueled by years of enduring this kind of humiliating public scrutiny.

When Tara calls Roopa “ugly” and says she doesn’t want “ugly people in my house,” she is referring to inner ugliness—the ugliness of Roopa’s betrayal, superficiality, and cruelty. However, the word choice is deeply ironic. Tara is using the very type of judgment that has been used against her. Chandan immediately points this out by saying, “They are not the ugly ones. We are. Horrible one-legged creatures.” He recognizes that in her pain, Tara is weaponizing the same label of “ugliness” that society has placed upon them, showing how cruelty can beget cruelty.

26. What does Dr. Thakkar reveal about the twins’ ability to reproduce? How does this medical fact connect to the play’s themes?

Answer: In one of his monologues, Dr. Thakkar reveals a crucial medical fact about the twins. He explains that due to the “complex conjoinment at the pelvis,” it would be “impossible for either of them to be able to reproduce.” He states unequivocally that “They are completely sterile.”

This medical fact is deeply connected to the play’s central themes of gender discrimination and societal values. The entire tragic decision to sacrifice Tara’s well-being for Chandan’s was rooted in a patriarchal desire to create a “whole” male heir who could carry on the family name and legacy. A key part of this legacy is the ability to have children. The revelation that both twins are sterile renders the family’s terrible choice utterly pointless. They sacrificed their daughter’s body in pursuit of a patriarchal ideal that was biologically impossible from the start, which makes the injustice committed against Tara even more profound and tragic.

27. Describe Tara’s monologue where she calls her own survival “a waste of money”. What is the “bullshit” she refers to?

Answer: In a moment of deep despair, Tara delivers a monologue where she laments the huge amount of money spent to keep her alive, calling it “a waste.” She then sarcastically imagines a noble future for herself, suggesting she could become a “carer for those people,” the “starving naked millions,” or even join Mother Teresa to give her existence some purpose. She tries to convince herself that this is what she truly wants.

The “bullshit” she refers to is this very performance of noble self-sacrifice. After building up this image of a saintly future, she breaks down and says with raw emotion, “Oh, bullshit! I don’t care! I don’t care for anyone except mummy!” The “bullshit” is her own attempt to create a dignified or altruistic meaning for her suffering. She recognizes in that moment that it is a lie. Her feelings are not noble; they are raw, painful, and selfish. She cannot transcend her personal tragedy, and her world has been reduced to her own pain and her desperate, complicated need for her mother.

28. What does Dan’s phone conversation with his father reveal? What has happened to Tara and Bharati in the intervening years?

Answer: Dan’s phone conversation with his father is a moment of stark revelation that bridges the past and the present. The call reveals that Dan, the adult Chandan, is now a writer living abroad and is deeply estranged from his father and his past in Bombay. He refuses his father’s plea to return home, feeling he can no longer face life there.

The conversation tragically clarifies what has happened in the years since the main events of the play. Dan explicitly states, “Tara has been dead for six years.” This confirms that Tara did not survive long into adulthood. Furthermore, the call is prompted by the recent death of their mother. Dan says, “now that mummy has gone as well, there’s nothing left for me to come back to.” The phone call efficiently communicates that both of the central female characters have died, leaving Dan and his father alone to grapple with the devastating consequences of their family’s history.

29. Why does Tara suspect that her father hates her? What incident at the hospital confirms her suspicion?

Answer: Tara suspects that her father hates her because of his emotional distance and his perceived favoritism towards Chandan. She feels that he is always defending Chandan and is not on her side in their family conflicts. She expresses this feeling directly to Chandan, saying, “You are always defending him,” and later, more bluntly, “I tell you, he hates me!”

Her suspicion is painfully confirmed for her by an incident at the hospital. She decides to go alone to visit her mother, wanting a private moment with her. However, the hospital staff will not allow her to see Bharati. Tara overhears a nurse telling the receptionist that she had received “strict instructions from our father that I shouldn’t on any account be allowed to see mummy on my own.” This deliberate act by her father to prevent her from seeing her mother alone is, in Tara’s mind, undeniable proof that he is actively working against her and hiding something, solidifying her belief that he hates her.

30. How does Patel’s confession begin? What was the “one complication which hadn’t been discussed” regarding the surgery?

Answer: Patel’s confession begins at a moment of high tension, after he has forbidden Tara from going to the hospital alone and the family’s conflict has reached a breaking point. Pushed by Tara and Chandan, he finally starts to reveal the truth, beginning with an admission of shared blame: “I suppose we were both to blame. Your mother and I. And your grandfather.” He recounts the history of their hope when they found Dr. Thakkar and planned for the surgery.

He then reveals the crucial piece of information that set the tragedy in motion. He explains that there was “one complication which hadn’t been discussed” openly among them all. This complication was the fact that “There were three legs.” The existence of a third, shared leg was the critical medical detail that had been kept quiet and which became the focal point of the unethical decision that followed.

31. What was the role of the twins’ grandfather in the decision-making process for the surgery? How did he influence Dr. Thakkar?

Answer: The twins’ maternal grandfather played a powerful and decisive role in the decision-making process. Patel explains that his father-in-law, a wealthy and influential industrialist and MLA, “got involved personally in our discussions with the doctor.” He then held a “private meeting with Dr Thakkar” along with Bharati, a meeting from which Patel himself was deliberately excluded. It was during this private meeting that the unethical plan was finalized, with the grandfather’s influence being paramount.

He influenced Dr. Thakkar through what was essentially a bribe. Patel reveals that he later learned of the doctor’s ambition to start a large nursing home in Bangalore. The grandfather used his “political influence” to secure “three acres of prime land-in the heart of the city-from the state” for Dr. Thakkar. In exchange for this huge professional and financial opportunity, the doctor compromised his medical ethics and agreed to carry out the family’s horrific plan to favor the boy at the girl’s expense.

32. Explain the terrible choice that Bharati and her father made. What was the scientific and ethical basis of this decision?

Answer: The terrible choice that Bharati and her father made was to surgically attach the shared third leg to the boy, Chandan, fully aware that this would severely endanger the girl, Tara. A medical scan had shown that the major part of the blood supply to this third leg came from Tara. This meant that scientifically, the “chances were slightly better that the leg would survive … on the girl.” Despite this clear medical evidence, they made the decision to “risk giving both legs to the boy.”

There was no sound scientific or ethical basis for this decision. Scientifically, it went against the available data, prioritizing a lower-probability outcome. Ethically, it was indefensible. Patel himself recognized it as “unethical” and “not right.” The decision was not based on medicine or morality but on a deeply ingrained patriarchal prejudice. They valued the idea of a physically “whole” male heir, who could carry on the family line, more than they valued the life and well-being of their female child. It was a choice driven by culture, not compassion.

33. What was the immediate and long-term result of the surgery? What happened to the third leg?

Answer: The immediate result of the surgery was a catastrophic failure. Patel explains that while Chandan had two legs as planned, it was only “for two days.” The body quickly rejected the foreign limb, and the family and doctors had to face the “grave mistake they had made.” The leg had to be amputated from Chandan. The long-term result was that the unethical gamble failed completely, leaving both twins permanently disabled with one leg each, and inflicting a deep, unhealable emotional wound on the entire family.

The third leg, which had been taken from Tara and attached to Chandan, became a “piece of dead flesh” and was amputated. Patel’s description of it is chilling: he says it “could have-might have-been Tara.” This powerful statement implies that the leg was not just a limb, but a vital part of Tara herself. In severing it from her and giving it to her brother, they effectively killed a part of her, symbolizing the profound and violent sacrifice that was forced upon her.

34. How does Dan describe his process of writing the play? What does he mean by taking something from Tara to give to himself?

Answer: Dan describes his process of writing the play as an agonizing and so far unsuccessful struggle. He says that while “The material is there,” meaning the tragic story of his past, “the craft is yet to come.” He feels he must “masticate” his trauma and anguish in his mind and “spit out the result to the world, in anger.” This violent imagery shows how painful and visceral the act of writing is for him. He admits his progress is “zero,” indicating a creative and emotional block.

When Dan says, “Like the amazing Dr Thakkar, I must take something from Tara-and give it to myself,” he is drawing a painful parallel between the surgeon’s physical act and his own artistic one. Just as Dr. Thakkar surgically took a leg that belonged to Tara and gave it to him, Dan, as a writer, must now take Tara’s story, her pain, and her tragedy, and use it for his own purpose—to create his play. He feels a deep sense of guilt in this, as if he is once again exploiting his sister’s suffering for his own benefit, “making capital” of her anguish to create his own tragedy.

35. Describe the final scene of the play. What is the significance of Tara and Dan appearing without limps and embracing?

Answer: The final scene of the play is a symbolic and dreamlike conclusion. After Dan’s voice-over expresses a wish for forgiveness, an empty spot of light appears. Tara “walks into the spot without limping,” and Dan “also appears without the limp.” They kneel to face each other. Dan asks for her forgiveness for making her tragedy his own. In response, “Tara embraces Dan,” and they hug tightly as the music begins, before a slow fade out.

The significance of this scene is its representation of healing and reconciliation beyond the grave. Their appearance without limps symbolizes their freedom from the physical and emotional burdens that defined and separated them in life. In this transcendent space, they are finally whole and equal. The embrace is the ultimate act of forgiveness. Dan has been haunted by guilt, and Tara’s embrace wordlessly grants him the absolution he seeks. It is a moment of spiritual reunion, where the injustice, separation, and pain of their earthly lives are finally resolved in a gesture of pure, unconditional love.