[1][2] This is Dharamvir Bharati's most famous work, and it earned him a huge fan-following especially in the contemporary youth, as well as several awards and accolades, thus making him one of the most recognised names in Hindi Literature following Munshi Premchand.
It appears as if the very same prayer has been ingrained in my heart and I am still repeating it..." The novel tells the passionate love story of Chander and Sudha and is set in Allahabad just after Partition.
Chandar has a choice: should he snatch Sudha from the clutches of social taboos or should he let her go and sacrifice his love at the altar of ‘good’ behaviour?
Chandar makes the socially acceptable choice and the consequences of this result in him becoming fully aware of his feelings for Sudha.
At this point he turns to Pammi, a Christian girl, to explore the physical aspect of love which was hitherto unknown to him.
When even the physical expression of love cannot alleviate his agony he turns to Binti in search of an emotional connection that really isn't there.
The writer also suggests that in such a restrictive society, young adults are bound to develop romantic feelings for anyone from the opposite sex whom they get a chance to interact with on a regular basis because they have limited options.