The character of Dr.pal?

Dr. Pal is Margayya’s business associate for much of the novel. He is a journalist for a Tamil newspaper and a self-described sociologist on the side. He and Margayya meet while Margayya is looking for a red lotus flower. He is writing a book, which is about sex life and married couples. When Margayya prints it, the book—titled Domestic Harmony—is wildly successful and Dr. Pal becomes a wealthy man. His close friendship with Balu, which Margayya views with suspicion, ultimately leaves Balu more selfish and greedy than he was before.