Aru Shah and the End of Time

Yamini “Mini” Kapoor-Mercado-Lopez is a 12-year-old girl and Aru’s “soul” sibling. She is the reincarnation of Yudhishtira, the oldest Pandava brother, and the daughter of Dharma Raja, god of justice and death. Mini is part Indian and part Filipina; her mother belongs to the panchakanya, an organization of legendary queens reincarnated to raise and protect the Pandavas in each generation. For years, Mini’s parents believed her brother to be the Pandava, only discovering it to be Mini much later. Because of her parents’ history, Mini is far more informed and prepared for the quest than Aru is.

Similar to Yudhishtira, who emulated the qualities of wisdom and justice of his father, Mini, too, is well-read and has a keen sense of right and wrong. She loves books and wants to become a doctor someday. She is also often mocked by her peers for being a tattletale, as she finds it difficult to stay quiet and not speak out in the face of injustice. In keeping with this, she is deeply hurt when she discovers that Aru lied about how and why she lit the lamp and briefly loses faith in her sister.

Like Aru, Mini experiences sometimes self-doubt and a lack of self-esteem. Besides being avoided by her own peers, Mini was not even thought capable of being a Pandava by her own family. This causes Mini to feel inadequate, and she worries that Aru is disappointed in who she is and will abandon her. Despite feeling this way, Mini nevertheless displays bravery and commitment to the quest, which Aru admires. When Mini finds her family frozen upon the Sleeper’s release, although she is terrified and believes herself not up to the task, she nevertheless prepares to fight. Eventually, she, too, proves herself worthy when she attempts to save Aru inside the timingala, and the danda reveals itself to her.

“Boo” is the nickname given by Aru to Shakhuni, King of Subala, who appears in the form of a pigeon to aid and mentor the girls in their quest. It is unclear whether Shakhuni has been transformed into a pigeon by a curse or has reincarnated as a bird. Both possibilities are feasible, as Shakhuni was a member of the Council of Guardians, which includes other immortals—celestial beings like Urvashi, or beings like Hanuman, who are chiranjivi (mortals who are blessed with the boon of immortality). Boo’s true identity is revealed when the Sleeper recognizes and captures him.

As a mentor, Boo is initially disappointed to discover that young, school-age girls are this generation’s reincarnations of the Pandavas. However, over time, he comes to care about the girls and guides their training and preparation. At several points in their journey, he sincerely aids them and rescues them when they are in danger. Boo strongly believes in and defends the idea that people can change, pointing to the theme of The Interconnected Roles of Karma and Fate. Shakhuni in the original epic is devious and evil, and the Sleeper references this when asking Boo whether serving the Pandavas now is his penance. However, Boo insists that it is his “honor” instead, displaying that it is not guilt, but a true change of heart that motivates his actions. This gives Aru hope that perhaps the vision shown by the Sleeper need not come true after all; it also leads her to accept Boo’s guidance and forgive him for his initial secrecy about his past.

The Sleeper is the main antagonist of the book. He is a demon trapped inside a cursed lamp; initially, there is not much known about him, except that lighting the lamp will release him, and he will attempt to orchestrate the end of time. Over the course of the book, however, the Sleeper is revealed to be Aru’s biological father, Suyodhana. The Pool of the Past displays the Sleeper to have been a loving and caring partner to Krithika, and he was thrilled to have become a father to Aru. He was aware of the prophecy surrounding him but believed himself strong enough to resist his fate. Arguably, it is Krithika’s entrapment of him inside the lamp that turns Suyodhana angry and bitter, and he becomes the Sleeper, bent on revenge against her and fate itself.

The Sleeper’s character highlights the question of destiny versus free will, as seen in the theme of The Interconnected Roles of Karma and Fate. The Sleeper sees the prophecy surrounding him as a prison that he wants to escape. He feels that the idea of destiny is suffocating and rebels against the idea that his life will unfold in a set way. Thus, despite being the antagonist, the reasons behind his actions are relatable: They allow the readers, and even Aru, to empathize with him at some level. This, combined with the vision of the future that the Sleeper presents to Aru, is what causes Aru to doubt her decision to destroy him. The Sleeper’s name also highlights his role in the story: In the original epic, Suyodhana is the name of the oldest Kaurava brother, who was one of the main antagonists in the story.