Mere SandhiPatra

Suryabala is a prominent figure in the Hindi literary generation known as the post-sixties generation. Her first novel, Mere Sandhipatra, is central to her literary identity. The novel was published in the renowned weekly Dharmayug in the mid-seventies. At the center of the novels narrative is a woman named Shiva, who represents the women of her time and embraces the challenge of the constant questions surrounding womens lives. She is a middle-class, educated woman, and the novel reveals many facets of her life. She is confident and self-respecting. Conscious of her identity, she does not rebel, nor does she allow herself to become a slave to circumstances; instead, she uses her wisdom to make decisions that benefit her, her family, and society. These are her Sandhipatras. At the center of Mere Sandhipatra are the conflicts within the mind of a middle-class woman, the situations of indecision and indecision. It does not involve exploitation of the woman, but rather a loving husband and her stepchildren. The questions raised in the novel regarding society, family, and honor are not secondary issues in womens discourse even today. The novel does suggest that a woman can only surrender to a man who is intellectually superior to her, but the heroine ultimately chooses sociality. In an era of vocal feminist discourse, this novel, with its mythic narratives, feels contemporary because of its questions.