Neema—a Village Girl (Novel)

The present novel aims at highlighting the struggle of a strong-willed rural girl Neema against her ill-matched marriage, familial restrictions, suffocating customs, antiquated traditions and age-old taboos. Having been denied her marriage with her classmate, Neema is forced to marry an impotent widower with whom her marriage remains unconsummated for many years while she moves around frantically in quest of happiness like a headless chicken. Written in a skilful and spell-binding narrative, the novel is so full of ever-present suspense that the reader is anxious to know what happens next. By using subtle irony, rollicking humour and stinging satire, Srivastava provides a picture of Indian rural life in a simple yet metaphorical language which makes the novel eminently readable.