“She who is brave is free”- Anukrti Upadhyay’s novella, Bhaunri perfectly epitomises this thought. Built on the theme of romantic envy, Bhaunri ( the protagonist) is a character with whom you will fall in love with for her fierceness, wit and strength. Bhaunri belongs to a nomadic blacksmith clan of Rajasthan. She is raised by a fierce and righteous mother who had the courage to break all social norms to seek her happiness. As a child Bhaunri is married off to a wealthy family of blacksmiths. Bhaunri believes in equality between a husband and wife as opposed to her mother-in-law who worked around making the men of the family happy at the cost of her well-being. After entering the in-laws household, Bhaunri falls in love with her husband Bheema. Bheema did reciprocate this love but he was a womanizer too. On the other hand her father-in-law who stayed most of the time away from the house also had numerous flings and one fine day came back. Though Bhaunri was his daughter in law but nothing deterred him to express his lusty thoughts about her. With time, the father in law slowly started recognising the brazenness in Bhaunri and he also started respecting her. At the end the bold step taken by Bhanuri to stop Bheema from breaking the sanctity of their marriage was a fabulous twist in the tale. I was completely taken aback by the determination, courage and the stubbornness of Bhaunri which gave this novella a different edge.
The rustic charm of the novella makes the entire reading experience so real. The daily chores and the recipes which are mentioned in the novella are so well depicted that you can get the sniff of the household and the life built around it.
The book is very simple to read. Anukriti’s writing is fresh and vivid that made the customs of the nomadic tribes spirited. The use of Rajasthani words and slangs gave the rustic aura of those times. I loved everything about the book. Moreover, I just loved the ending. Will definitely recommend this beautiful and intense work of literature.