The Character of Faiba in Seven Steps in the Sky: The Extremity of Dominance

Abstract

Kundanika Kapadiya isarenownedGujaratifemalewriter. ThenovelSevenStepsintheSkygot the prestigious Gyanpith Award. Kundanika Kapadiya when published this novel, she was threatened by some people. Who were strongly believed that Kapadiya is breaking the rules set bythe society from millions of years. But onthe other hand, she revealed that one ladywrote a letterto her bysaying that when I read this novel, I thought I have met somewhere the lady like Vasudha. But after a deep thinking I became sure that I amthat character. This was the huge impact ofthis novel. Here, the character ofFaiba herself prove that WOMAN IS THE ENEMY WOMAN. Faiba portraythe major role in the life ofVasudha. Faiba is that character who has sacrificed her whole life after Vyomesh, her nephew. She was a widow. Throughthis article we can find that one should have some limitation oftorturing others.You can’t mould anyone’s life according to your thoughts convience.

Introduction

The novel’s minor character Faiba is Vyomesh Mehta’s paternal aunt who raised him after his parents died young. She devoted her entire life to Vyomesh, sacrificing her own desires and happiness. Faiba’s world revolves around him—she understands his needs deeply but has very little communication with him. Despite her care for Vyomesh, Faiba treats his wife Vasudha coldly, viewing her only as a daughter-in-law whose duty is to work without complaint.

Faiba’s harsh attitude and lack of emotional support make Vasudha feel miserable and isolated. Faiba expects Vasudha to follow strict household rules, religious practices, and traditional gender roles, discouraging her love for reading and education. Faiba believes educated women become rebellious and that a woman’s place is at home.

The story highlights the common oppressive dynamic between mother-in-laws and daughters-in-law in traditional Indian families, where older women like Faiba enforce strict control over younger women. Faiba herself is exhausted from managing the household but never receives help from her husband or son Vyomesh, who remains emotionally distant.

Despite Faiba’s sacrifices, Vyomesh’s indifferent response to her death shows a lack of appreciation. The author uses Faiba’s character to illustrate the widespread gender discrimination and generational oppression women face, showing how women often perpetuate these norms among themselves.

References

[1] Kapadiya, Kundanika,SevenStepsintheSky.Trans. KunjalbalaandWilliam Anthony. Ahmedabad: Navbharat Sahitya Mandir,1994. Print. [2] RathodJasvant V,Feminist Consciousnessinundanika Kapadia’sSevenStepsinthe Sky.

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Sonal Chauhan , Dr. Ashok Pandya. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.