Ajit, Nomita’s husband in Matchbox, represents the face of person with patriarchal attitude.He is authoritative, insensitive, and emotionally detached. He is not overtly cruel, but his behavior reveals deep-seated control and disregard for his wife's individuality and dignity.
Ajit is a controlling husband. He thinks that he has the right to read Nomita’s personal letters without her consent, and even not to give it to her. This act is not a one-time mistake but a recurring pattern. He justifies his actions with sarcasm, and anger.
His lack of empathy is evident in how he treats Nomita’s mother. He mocks her constant requests for help, referring to her with disdain and contempt. His reaction to her letters — “Why bother to read that? I’ll go and fill out a money-order form” — shows his callous attitude.
Ajit also displays emotional manipulation. When caught hiding the letter, he tries to laugh it off, then lies, and finally gets defensive and verbally abusive. He does not care for Nomita’s emotions — he fears only the disturbance it might cause in his comfortable life. When she finally protests, he lashes out, calling her family low-class, saying things like, “A dung-picker’s daughter becomes a queen.” This line is cruel, deeply insulting, and meant to crush her spirit.
Despite this, Ajit is not a one-dimensional villain. There is a moment of fear and hesitation when Nomita lights her sari on fire. He rushes to save her and tries to calm her down. But even this concern is not driven by guilt or love — it is driven by shock and a fear of scandal or losing control.
Ajit represents the kind of man who wears the mask of respectability. He paints the picture of one who is wealthy, high-minded, large-hearted in the eyes of society, but inside the home, shows little kindness or fairness. His “generosity” is a façade that hides a deep disregard for his wife’s independence and feelings.
Ajit is a symbol of the silent, everyday oppression that women endure within marriage. He is not monstrous in obvious ways, but his casual authority, manipulation, and emotional coldness are enough to extinguish a woman’s voice. Like the matchboxes Ashapurna Devi writes about, he keeps Nomita close, but only on his terms, unaware, or perhaps too aware, that one spark from her is enough to burn through the illusion he’s built.
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