The Second Wife

The Second Wife – The Second Wife is the English translation title for Munshi Premchand’s renowned Hindi novel Nirmala, a tragic story that critiques social evils in early 20th-century India. The novel highlights issues such as the dowry system, child marriage, and the plight of women through the life of its protagonist, Nirmala. The novel centers on Nirmala, a charming and cultivated 15-year-old girl. Her marriage prospects are ruined after her father’s sudden death makes it impossible for her family to provide a sufficient dowry. She is then married off to Totaram, a middle-aged lawyer with three sons from his first wife, who is twenty years her senior.