A young bride. An aging husband. A life shaped by sacrifice. Set in early 20th-century India, Nirmala tells the poignant story of a teenage girl forced into a marriage with a much older widower after her family's financial collapse. As Nirmala adjusts to her new reality, her dignity and resilience are tested by jealousy, suspicion, and the deep emotional divides within her household. Premchand's powerful novel confronts the injustices of the dowry system, gender roles, and class expectations, through characters drawn with empathy and complexity. A moving exploration of tradition, morality, and silent suffering, Nirmala remains one of the most enduring works of Hindi literature.
