Beyond the veil

A social drama set in pre-partition India that explores the identities and challenges of women beyond the veil. ~ A period drama set in 1900 to 1950 the novel explores the different facets of women and their identities beyond the veil as keepers of their unique culture and language the joint family ideology and the role played in the day to day lives. While the Hindu society in pre-partition India was facing its own challenges and upheavals the men playing the dominant part ‘Beyond the Veil’ gives us a peek into the women’s role in anchoring the social milieu. Spanning over two generations the novel shuttles between Punjab and Bengal as gender issues cultural conditioning and economic dependence of women mutate with time and setting whether rural-feudal or a British-influenced-urban milieu. The perspectives of Roopmati and Maina evolve with the changing times and demands. Love insecurity and fear co-exist with the common humanity’s attempts to cope with social events that change their life permanently. ~ ‘A story of two generations of women bravely battling their destinies in the unequal world of pre Independence India. Devika Narulas novel written with restraint compassion and understanding is a vivid depiction of the pressures exerted by societal expectations on sensitive women. A most interesting read.’ ----Dr. Aruna Chakravarti Translator & Sahitya Akademi Award winning Author