She bonds with her sister wives Kaushlya and Sumitra, and they create the court of women, which resolves disputes and finds solutions for women of all castes and classes. She aids her husband in battle, saving him from death, receiving two boons and winning the respect of his army. Vaishnavi also skillfully avoids all the harmful tropes associated with polygamous marriages and motherhood in non-Christian family dynamics.Īs the book continues, we see Kaikeyi turn from a wallflower in her new kingdom to a fierce warrior and tactful politician. She allows you to see her brilliant strategic mind and audacious personality shine through even when she’s supposed to be demure and agreeable.

In exchange for being the third and youngest wife of King Dasharatha of Ayodhya, her son would be heir to the throne. Kaikeyi uses her power to secure marriage in an unfavourable situation. And now you’ve made an enemy out of somebody, or somebody feels like you’re manipulating them.” Vaishnavi Patel interview with Off Colour The flip side is that sometimes you go too far or say the wrong thing. “I wanted there to be some sort of weakness because if you think about soft power, using people skills to get what you want. When pushed too far, she can snap these strings beyond repair, turning these once-loving bonds to ashes of burned bridges. But author Vaishnavi Patel clarifies that this gift isn’t without its limits. Letting her sway their opinion and decisions with skillful tuggings on their strings. Her powers are a beautiful illustration of soft power, allowing her insights into how relationships connect her to others. She uses every tool in her arsenal, including the God touched the ability to see people’s threads of fate, to carve out a path for herself. But just because he doesn’t consider her autonomy relevant doesn’t mean Kaikeyi will willingly stroll down the aisle.

Kaikeyi is bold, bright and unruly, she’s every little bit as fit to lead and fight as her brothers, but her father’s plans for her future are the polar opposite. The hurdles of caste and class by no means burden her life, but she walks a fine line as a princess oppressed by eons of patriarchal rule. We meet Kaikeyi when she is a young girl, the only girl in a family of boys with a cruel father and a distant mother.

Kaikeyi book review