Introduction:
After reading the story of the novel “Heat and Dust” we know that Olivia is an important female character who had been loving the Nawab because her husband, Douglas had neglected to love her strongly. The Narrator had come to India to know about Olivia who was the first wife of her grandfather Douglas. Its reason was that her grandmother. Tessie and her grand aunt, Beth had made the story of the life of Olivia a mystery. With this reason, the character of Olivia had become significant and the central point of the story of the present novel.
Her Loneliness prompted her to Love the Nawab:
Olivia was the wife of Douglas, Assistant Collector at Satipur. Though Olivia's husband was holding an important post, yet he neglected his wife. In this way, she had become a serious victim of loneliness. There she knew only the Crawfords, the Collector and his wife, the Saunders, the Medical Superintendent, the Major and Mrs. Minnies. She could meet them only on Sundays and on other days, Olivia lived all alone in her big house after shutting all the doors and windows of her house so that the heat and dust should not enter her house. Either she read books or she played the piano because she had no other work. On the other hand, her husband, Douglas remained so busy in his official work that he had no time to talk to his wife Olivia.
Though, Olivia was happy with her high position and richness, yet all those things did not give her real happiness. Its reason was that her husband could not give her real company which she needed. He used to go to his office early in the morning, went on inspection and returned late in the evening. She had to pass the whole day locked up within the four - walls of her house with her servants. Thus, her loneliness had prompted her to go to the Nawab for her real happiness in her young life.
Olivia's Interest in the Nawab and His Passionate Response to Her:
When Olivia could not get desired and passionate love from her husband, Douglas, she turned to the Nawab to find a loving companion in the form of the Nawab and she became happier to find that he also loved her. She noted that “His eyes often rested on her, and she let him study her while pretending not to notice. She liked it as she had liked the way he had looked at her when she had first come in. His eyes had lit up he checked himself immediately but she had seen it and realised that her at last was one person in India to be interested in her the way she was used to." Olivia at once understood after the party that the Nawab would come to meet her. She would also wait for him after her husband had gone out to attend his job.
Olivia was feeling loneliness so the Nawab advanced to her more and more and he began to come to meet her every day after her husband had gone away on his duty. He paid special attention to her during a gathering in the palace. He tried his best to make her most comfortable on the sofa, facing him on the front seat. After some days the Nawab invited both Olivia and her husband to come to his palace for dinner and he promised to send his own car to fetch him. Douglas was not ready to go there without the Crawfords, so he sent a note of regret. It is necessary to mention that the Nawab continued to take interest in Olivia more and more. His gentleness and hospitality made a very loving and real place in the heart of Olivia. She also began to take interest in the life and character of the Nawab. She also gathered information about the life of Nawab from Miss Crawford and Mrs. Minnies. The Nawab took more interest in Olivia because his own wife, Sandy had left him and Olivia's response was very favourable towards him. Mrs. Crawford and Mrs. Saunders made a plan to go to Simla during the summer but Olivia refused to go with them saying. “Four months it seems an eternity. We haven't been together so very long.” It was her pretext to stay behind to enjoy the company of the Nawab because she could not live separate from him for such a long time.
Olivia had been loving her husband, Douglas unawaited:
Olivia used to love her husband, Douglas truly and strongly in spite of the fact that he was too busy to make an open and formal expression of his love to her. She had been regarding him a loving husband. She became very happy when Harry told her, “I like your husband.” It is true that Olivia and Douglas were a loving and ideal couple who loved and admired each other truly and faithfully.
Though, Olivia had started loving the Nawab because she had become tired of her loneliness. She did not like to disturb her husband in his busy official duties, so she did not tell him anything about her relationship to the Nawab. The narrator noted Olivia's relationship both to her husband as well as to the Nawab and she wrote these words. “It was about this time the time of her growing friendship with the Nawab that she and Douglas began to speak seriously about having children. They were both very keen on it. Olivia felt that someone as handsome, as perfect as Douglas should be procreated many times over she teared him about it she said he had only married her so as to people the world with a whole lot of Douglases. Not at all he said it was Olivia he wanted as many of them as possible.” It is clear that Olivia had drawn a clear line between her love for her husband and her friendship with the Nawab. On another occasion she called him a loving husband and wished that he should also be an indulgent father. Such conversation shows her love for her husband.
Olivia knew well the difference between her love for her husband and friendship with the Nawab:
Olivia's love for her husband and her friendship with the Nawab were running parallel, without crossing each other. Once, she wanted to go to the palace of the Nawab, so she told her husband that she wanted to see Harry who was lying ill at the palace. She also wanted desperately to get pregnant, so she wanted to consult the doctor in spite of the fact that her husband could not make her pregnant due to some deficiency. She had a strong desire to be pregnant, so she came closer into the contact of the Nawab. She had refused to go to Simla because she could not give up the company of her husband. She wanted to be pregnant from her contact with the Nawab when it was not possible with her contact with her husband. She wanted a child from the Nawab but in the name of her husband.
Why did Olivia abort her Child?
Many such things happened when a husband has no time for the wife. He cannot give company to his wife because of his overbusy life, or he cannot give the fullest sexual satisfaction. Both the things held good in the case of Olivia. Neither Douglas had any free time to talk to his wife, nor could he give her the fullest sexual satisfaction. With this reason, Olivia came into contact of the Nawab to get a child but she wanted that the child should be known as that of her husband. Olivia was much worried that her child would get the colour and the features of the Nawab. She did not like to give a shock to her husband who was also much excited about the coming baby. This is the reason that Olivia decided firmly and finally to get her child aborted so that her husband should not feel jealous in anyway. Dr. Saunders helped her in her action. She did not return to Douglas and the Nawab had made the necessary arrangement for her living in the mountains.
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