Significance of the Car in Dhoop Kinarey

The picture above juxtaposes together the first scene and one of the last scenes of the play. As the picture illustrates the common factor between both the scenes is the presence of the car. 

The presence of an automobile throughout the course of the play indicates its significance to the plot and the connotation it holds. 

The most evident role of the automobile is its ability to distinguish between classes. Dr. Ahmer owns a big car (not sure what model) and has employed a driver. This is significant of his class status earlier on in the novel. On the other hand, Zoya owns a comparatively smaller car (perhaps a Mehran, just guessing) and drives it herself. This shows that even though she is financially sound but Dr Ahmer is richer than her.

Usually connotations of modernity are attached with automobiles. The fact that Dr. Zoya drives, not only is indicative of her strong feminist character but also with ‘modernity’. It gives Zoya a certain power over other characters depicted in different shows for instance Khirad. While Khirad would stay within the bounds of her house, Zoya is outgoing and independent. This has significant values for the women empowerment.

Moreover, what is interesting to observe is the use of automobile especially by the patriarch to reassert his status and maintain hierarchy.

The picture above shows the instance when Dr Zoya parks her car in the parking space of Dr Ahmer. Ahmer is clearly unhappy when he finds this out as he tells Zoya: “Dr. Khan kya aapko pata nahi hai ke junior doctors ko apni ghari kahan park karni chahye ?”  He is trying to maintain the order which is disrupted by the presence of this feminist character in the public space.  

The picture above shows the three different instances where Zoya rather than driving the car herself is dependent upon Dr Ahmer to drive her. First is the time, when Ahmer decides to drop her late at night, then second time is when Zoya’s car is not working and third is the instance when bomb blasts occur and the doctors are at Dr Ahmer’s party.

However, the starkest example of patriarch maintaining his dominance is when Dr Zoya goes to visit a patient who lives quite far. Dr Ahmer is quite angry when he hears that Zoya chose to travel alone.

The exchange between them goes as follows,

Dr Ahmer: Aapko iss tarah inn halat mei nahi aana chahye tha. Chaliye bethen ghari mei.

Dr Zoya: Sir meri apni ghari hai

Dr Ahmer: Aajaye gi ghari, chaliye aap.

Even though Zoya had her own car but Dr Ahmer convinces her to travel with him. In the car, he expresses his anger over Zoya’s ability to do what she wants without thinking of the consequences. She drove all the way to that place without thinking how unsafe it was for her. He is to some extent challenging the type of agency Zoya possesses and trying to control it.  Maybe he is unhappy that Zoya is empowered enough to not to be dependent upon him.  Ahmer could be seen as someone who enjoys that kind of dependence which people have on him. Before he began dropping Zoya at her place, he would drop Dr Sheena as evident in the dialogue: “Dheir hogayi hai. Chalo tumhe ghar chorh dun”.

Moreover, it is also interesting that the climactic moment of the play also occurs in the presence of the car. The scene where Dr Ahmer tells Dr Zoya about his baba’s property and soon discovers that Dr Zoya is baba’s granddaughter (someone whom he has proclaimed to hate time and again). It is a time of great contention between the two.

After hearing, Dr Ahmer shows his anger by driving really fast (as evident in the scenes below).  He uses the automobile to show his aggression over the truth he has just heard.