Introduction:
We know about Raka when Nanda Kaul had received a telephone call from her daughter Asha that her own daughter, Tara was going to live with her husband, Rakesh at Geneva. So Asha informed her mother that she would send Raka to stay with her. In that way she would be happy to get the company of Raka. She added that Raka was a loving child, so she could prove a fine companion for her. She had recently recovered from typhoid, so she was very weak. Though Raka was a child of a broken home, yet she was the loving and lovely child of her mother and grandmother. At first Nanda Kaul regarded it a disturbance to her retired, peaceful and lonely life at Carignano.
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| Fire on the Mountain | Character Sketch of Raka | |
Raka's life with Nanda Kaul at Carignano:
Raka arrived at Carignano to live with her great grandmother, Nanda Kaul who had already renounced the world to live her retired, peaceful and lonely life at Kasauli like a true hermit. She had decided to live in the midst of Nature which she loved much and it could be far from the madding crowd. With this reason she did not like the suggestion of receiving a child which could be a disturbance to her peaceful life. Then, “she struggled to suppress her anger, her disappointment and her total loathing of her daughter's meddling, busy body's ways, her grand - daughter's abject helplessness, and her great grand - daughter's impending arrival here at Carignano.” Even then the little child was to be received and she was to be cared.
Nanda Kaul was upset to think that Raka would be a disturbance in her house, cry freely and leave the things in disorder. She could also make her constant demand again and again in order to disturb her mental peace. Not only Nanda Kaul felt depressed but her servant, Ramlal also felt equally nervous when he was told about the little Raka's arrival into the house. The old lady thought that she would again bear the strain of bringing up a child as she had done in the past. In the past, she had several children who went to different schools and colleges. After her retirement she was happy that it was all over but with the arrival of Raka her worries and problems again arose once again. She became so nervous that she thought, “She would never be able to sleep ...... how could she sleep with someone else in the house?”
Some Impressions about Raka's Interests and her attitude towards Nanda Kaul:
Nanda Kaul did not go to the taxi stand to receive Raka but she sent Ramlal to fetch her. As she saw Raka coming towards the house, her first impression was that she was not like the Moon, “this child was not round - faced, calm or radiant.” She regarded her as “an intruder, an outsider, a mosquito flown up from the plains to tease and worry.”
When Raka met her great grandmother, she felt as the old lady had felt about her. She regarded her, “bony, angular and unaccommodating”, and she “murmured at her as another pine tree.” She also felt that she was like a bird in the cage newly tamed. She thought so because she was a girl of free spirits and she had nothing in common with other children. Later Nanda Kaul also admitted “that Raka was not like any other child she had known, not like any of her own children, or grandchildren. Amongst them she appeared of freak by virtue a never making a demand.”
Nanda Kaul also felt that the child was ignoring her. Soon the old lady did not regard her as a burden as she had feared in the beginning. On the other hand, Raka had the gift for disappearing suddenly and silently but she did not prove a disturbance to her in any way. She had her own life to live peacefully.
Raka's Love for Nature and for Animals:
The atmosphere on the Kasauli hills was so attractive for Raka that she had forgotten everything. She demanded nothing because she had no needs. She was fond of climbing up the hills and grasping the tufts of grass, etc. She also liked wandering down a lane to pluck some berries from a thorny bush. When she returned home her legs were scratched, her knees were hurt and her hair was covered with dust. Raka desired nothing but to be left alone to continue her secret life near the rocks and pines at Kasauli. As she climbed up the hill, she rolled pebbles with her feet and she heard the crickets, singing in strange tone which she had not heard before. It was an experience unique of its kind. She also saw a big yellow snake basking on a rock. The little girl was very fond of all these scenes of the beauty of Nature.
Raka was equally fond of seeing animals of that area. Once when she had gone for sight - seeing with her great grandmother, she saw a group of black - faced langurs jumping from one branch to the other branch. Raka moved her head with great joy and she laughed with her great grandmother. On another occasion she saw some black and white langurs who had arrived at Carignano.
Raka was happy in her own way because she had created a world of her own at Kasauli. She enjoyed climbing up the hills, watching the rocks and she also visited the charred (burnt) house at the top of the hills. She also felt happy going down the valley and she watched the top of the hill with great joy. She also took an equal delight in seeing the flow of the five rivers of Punjab as well as Chandigarh Lake. The little girl felt very happy after seeing so much natural beauty around her.
Raka created rapport with Ramlal because he was a nice man. He was the first man whom she had met at the taxi stand on her arrival at Kasauli. On the other hand Nanda Kaul did not feel any joy in meeting her because she thought her as an outsider to disturb her peace of mind and the solitude of that place. She was very near and dear to Ramlal who had received her with a lot of love and affection. He also told her about the local conditions as well as about Pasteur Institute, rabbits, dogs and jackals in the ravine, forest fire, club - life, etc. He had also given her a warning that she should not wander about in that dangerous area. Both Ramlal and Raka had simple and natural feelings.
Raka's Dynamic Character:
By the close study of the story of the novel ' Fire on the Mountain written by Anita Desai we find that Raka had a dynamic character. As soon as she arrived at Carignano, her outlook had changed completely.
Raka started living like a child of Nature and she made some new experiences. One day Nanda Kaul went out for her evening walk with Raka, she did not like her company because she thought that the old lady would take her through the market, or to the club but she took her to the Monkey Point. On the way she showed Raka a house which was burnt completely by the forest fire. The woman who was living in the house was also burnt much. After that the old lady showed her a Garden House which was once “the most beautiful garden in Kasauli, but it was turned into an army billet.” The tourists had scratched their names, so they had done great harm to the peace and beauty of Kasauli. She also asked Raka if she would like to go to the school at Kasauli or to a boarding school at Sanawar.
Though such information aroused new feelings in the heart of Raka, yet she left her great grandmother at the lonely bus - stop and she herself ran to the Monkey Point. She felt “her resentment at the mention of boarding school at Sanawar was still inside her chest.” When she reached the Monkey Point, she spread out her arms, stood on her toes as if she wanted to fly like an eagle. Then Nanda Kaul felt that “Raka’s a genius. Raka's a demon.” She also regarded the little girl like herself but Raka was ahead of her . She also ran to the club to see the “ladies dressed as queens and men as princes” but she was disgusted with those fancy dresses.
Raka as a Contemplative Introvert:
After making a close study of ‘Fire on the Mountain’ we find that Raka was a contemplative introvert, so she stopped to climb up the hills and she was lost in her own thoughts and sweet sensations. Nanda Kaul felt that she had become evasive. She did not try to meet and talk to anybody. The old lady tried to tell her about those happy days which she had passed with her father and her husband but Raka did not make any reactions and she remained silent. Nanda Kaul was deeply shocked by her indifference to her. She tried her best to attract her attention towards herself. She did not like that she should leave her and go away. It is true that Raka liked her freedom without any confinement.
Raka thought again and again about the charred house on the hill and she wanted to see it once again. She took no interest in the talk of Nanda Kaul and Ila Das. Then Nanda Kaul noted that Raka “wanted only one thing— to be left alone and pursue her secret life amongst the rocks and pines of Kasauli.” The novelist felt that if Nanda Kaul was “a recluse out of vengeance, her great grand - daughter was recluse by nature, by instinct.”
Conclusion:
Raka was deeply hurt after hearing about the rape and murder of Ila Das. She took a match box and went out with an idea to set fire to the forest to satisfy the fire which was burning inside her heart. She told her Nani, “Look Nani, I have set the forest on fire. Look, Nani — look — the forest is on fire.”