NIRMALA

Nirmala (Shatranj Ke Khiladi)

by Munshi Premchand

Nirmala, first published in 1928 is a moving tale of a fifteen-year-old whose life is bartered by the very hands of destiny when she is made to marry an elderly widower – a matchless match. Premchand presents a nuanced mockery of the institution of marriage and that of the patriarchal society with a high degree of reformist outline.

Nirmala entirely deals with the life and activities of Nirmala. Nirmala as the protagonist and as the victim conveys some sensitive issues which leave the readers choked under the burden of the tragedy. It documents a change that was occurring in the earlier part of the 1900's and is an introduction of the history of women's rights and the status of women in Indian culture. It will be of special interest for the lovers of Indian culture and history and possibly of the history of women's rights.

Shatranj ke Khiladi is a story about two aristocrats Mirza Sajjad Ali and Mir Roshan Ali living in the kingdom of Avadh during the times of British Raj. Both of them are careless towards their duties and spend their days playing chess which ultimately destroys them.