Nirmala is a teenage girl whose engagement collapses after her father's death leaves the family unable to pay the expected dowry. Her mother arranges a match with Totaram, a lawyer about twice her age with three sons from his first marriage, and Nirmala enters his household as a wife barely older than his eldest son, Mansaram.
Totaram, insecure about his age, grows jealous of Nirmala's friendly relationship with Mansaram, and his suspicion sets off events that slowly poison the entire family. Premchand shows how each person, including Totaram's widowed sister, is trapped by customs they did not choose. Gossip and rumour do as much damage as any villain.
First serialised in the magazine Chand in the mid-1920s and later published as a book, the novel is a powerful critique of the dowry system and marriages between young girls and older men. Alok Rai's English translation is widely read, and the story was adapted for Doordarshan television.
Book details
| Author | Munshi Premchand |
|---|---|
| First published | 1927 |
| Original language | Hindi |
| Translated by | Alok Rai |
| Genre | Classic |
| Type | Fiction |
| Setting | A town in north India, 1920s |
Themes
- Dowry
- Child marriage
- Jealousy
- Women's oppression
- Social reform
Who should read it
Readers interested in classic Hindi fiction and early literary critiques of dowry and child marriage.