Reaching Bombay Central Synopsis: Ayesha Jamal is on an agonizing journey to beg for help from a well-placed a relative.

Her husband, always the straight arrow in his department, had bent a rule at the request of a (Hindu) friend, in order to help out a third (Muslim) person. The helpee abuses the favor, is found out, and Mr. Jamal has been suspended and accused of corruption. The official-in-charge, who has the power to diminish or inflate the problem, has switched parties to a communalist group, with an eye to the main chance. Elections are looming and big win for "The Sangha" is predicted. Mr. Jamal is a convenient minority candidate for sacrificial offering on the altar of political ambition. As she goes on her journey she deals with characters and the complexities of being a Muslim and the reactions that it causes within people. In the end however, the Sangha is defeated, and all will be well. Main Characters: 1)Ayesha Jamal: The central character throughout the book is Ayesha Jamal, whom is on a journey to help her husband, Aarif Jamal, who has found himself in a political predicament. Needless to say, Ayesha Jamals characters contribution to the microcosm that is India lies in the fact she is a marginalized Muslim woman in a compartment full of non Muslims, alluding to the ratio of Muslims as a minority in India. Nevertheless, Futehally narrates Ayeshas journey as a Muslim minority as one who is nervous and always judgmental of how other people perceive her. Hence, Ayesha is observing peoples reactions to her attentively rather than being comfortable and natural. This is indicative of how many minorities, like Muslims, may feel in a place like India after the Partition. Futehally conveys this apprehension in one of many examples when Ayesha says she is Mrs. Jamal. As always, there was a flicker of a pause while this was digested. And as always, it was no more than a flicker (Futehally, Page 5). Clearly, Ayesha represents within the microcosm of India, the minority figures of India who may always be weary of their place in society and her interactions with characters display how many in India may feel being a minority. 2) Chhatrasingh Yadav: . The politician in Compartment C, named Chhatrasingh Yadav. He is representative of the elite in India, who expect special treatment due to their status. This is apparent when the politician is irate about not getting an AC compartment, and continues to complain how he should have received one. I was personally assured by the PS to the Railway Minister. The Railway Minister is a good friend of mine, the respected Faisal Khan Saab. (Futehally, Page 29). Moreover, shows his contradictory ways when he mentions that if you ask anyone about him, they will say that Chhatrasingh is for the poor. Yet, when the Coolies came to work, and asked for some more money for their duties he does not oblige and brushes them away. Futehally, in my opinion added this character to represent the elite ideals that some have within the greater picture of India. 3) Coolies: As far as India has come, there is no guising the fact that there is more poor than rich within the confines of India. Futehally sends the reader a constant reminder by

way of sporadically including Coolie appearances within the novel. From the beginning there is a Coolie and the novel ends with a Coolie, which I feel is Futehallys way of including the poverty stricken within the microcosm concept that is representative of India. The poor are always there, and the way they get treated with disrespect is also indicative throughout India. 4) Jayashri and Ranjit: the characters of Jayashri and Ranjit are symbolic of the youth of India and the hope for the future. As Ayesha is on her journey she judges Ranjit as an Adidas shoe wearing brash youth. However, as he volunteers to fill her bottle of water amongst the thirsty crowd, Ayesha questions her own very judgment and is caught within a hypocritical position of not liking being judged, but also being guilty of the offense. As the story progresses, she develops a kindred relationship with Jayashri who refers to her as aunty as most young Indians refer to elderly women. What is more, Jayashris concern for Ayesha is apparent when she continuously asks Ayesha if there is anything she can do, to let her know. Futehally conveys to the reader that the youth is the hope of the nation, the antithesis to what the Sangha symbolize, and will hopefully represent a caring, united India one day as well. 5)Aairf Jamal: Although, Aarif Jamal is not a character within Compartment C, I feel that his character adds to the microcosm of India as his actions led to Ayesha being on the train in the first place. Aarifs contribution to the microcosm pie would be the feeling of unity that can be achieved in India. The optimism that marginalization in India may not be widespread. Aarifs response to when a Hindu friend (Shiv Prasad Nath) asked a favour for his long time Muslim friend, not based on the fact that a Muslim will be helping another Muslim, but on the merit of friendship. He had yet again restored their faith in other human beings, and it would be coarse to be finicky about what the favour was. (Futehally, Page 20). Thus, Aarifs interactions that haunted Ayesha in Compartment C were initially representative of the feeling of unity that can be achieved amongst some people in India. Themes: >Shame: The awkwardness associated with mentioning ones background is portrayed numerous times when Ayesha goes through a dialogue in her mind of whether to let people know she is Muslim. She would keenly observe others reactions which bothered her. Example: There was no help for it. She had to tell them her name and it came out nervously, although she hated, she despised herself, for that nervousness.- Page 120 Example 2: Your good name madam? I am Mrs. Jamal. As always, there was a flicker of a pause while this was digested. And, as always, it was no more than a flicker Page 5 >Anger: Eventually, Ayesha gets fed up of the judgment, and starts to get angry at those who judge her. She then decides to circum to what she hated along; make divisions and group anyone not on her side

Example: But the glance had been there, and for a minute she felt that she was going to stop right there and scream at him, and all the accumulated fear of the last months, and all the cowering, and all the feeling of being cornered, would tear out of her straight as an arrow and shoot at this young mans well-fed chest. Page 121 Example: Was Pushpa, too, on the other side then? Well let her be. Let her be. Let her go. Ayesha could manage her own cooking perfectly well. And the thought of how well she could manage it made her head spin with rage. > The train and the people within the train were a microcosm of Indian society. The various ethnicities coupled with the interactions between each other captured India. >Ayeshas journey to Bombay Central was one where anyone not feeling comfortable in their own skin can relate to. Whether it is religion, race, and gender, anyone who feels awkward can empathize and not only see the realities in India but also the realties in society Professor Notes: >Compartment C is a microcosm of India and as it reaches its destination of Bombay, it represents one day India will also arrive at its destination. > The main focus is to see how Ayesha deals with being Muslim ( a minority) in India and the reactions she gets. She tends to analyze people much more than ordinary people due to her insecurities of being Muslim.