Durgeshnandini - Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay

'Durgeshnandini' is a popular Bengali novel written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.It was in my reading list since long time as the title itself fascinated me..This romantic historical fiction is the first novel by the author..Durgeshnandini literally means the daughter (nandini) of the lord of the fort (durgesh)..But the English title 'The Chieftain's daughter' is well suited in the given context.The story is a blend of  love,passion,war and vengeance..The historical background of the story is the Mughal-Pathan rivalry in the time of Akbar's ruling.

Copyright A Homemaker's Utopia

Here are few lines from the book,
'Some people have a propensity for presenting themselves as unyielding individuals,lest they acquire a reputation for kindness;even as they deride compassion as a feminine trait,they come to the aid of other people.If they are asked why,they say it was for their own benefit..Ayesha knew only too well that Osman was such a person.'

'The sharp pain of the knife in his heart was replaced by the dull ache of despondency.It is agonizing to abandon hope;but once dejection has rooted itself,the suffering is not as acute.A blow from a weapon is similarly painful,the ache from the wound that follows is constant,it is true,but not as extreme.Jagatsingh now endured the lesser agony of hopelessness.'

The story starts in a Shiva temple with the accidental encounter between Jagatsingh and the two woman Bimala and Tilottama..Bewitched by the eminent beauty of Tilottama,the prince fall in love with her instantly.. Here Jagatsingh is the son of Akbar's general Mansingh and Tilottama is the daughter of Virendrasingh,Master of Fort Mandaran..One night maid Bimala arranges a secret meeting for the lovers in the Fort Mandaran ..Unfortunately,the same night Fort Mandaran was invaded by Pathan armies,Jagatsingh was seriously wounded and imprisoned..The master of the fort Virendrasingh was executed while the maid Bimala and Tilottama were moved to Katlu Khan's harem as his concubines..On the flipside,Katlu Khan's daughter Ayesha irresistibly drawn to the prince Jagatsingh,while she nurses him back to health..Osman Khan,general of Katlu Khan loves Ayesha,but she treats him like a brother..Now,whether Jagatsingh and Tilottama come together ? What about Ayesha's love ?? Why do Bimala wants to avenge the death of Virendrasingh ? You will find the answers of all these questions in the coming part of the story..The story moves further with so many interesting twists and turns.You must read the novel to grab the complete essence of it.

It's an engaging read.The author's writing style is very captivating.I was not bored at any point of the story..There are some wonderful illustrations about the beauty of woman..It is nearly 180 pages book,so you can easily finish it at once.The novel also adapted as a movie in 1956 with the same title,starring Pradeep Kumar,Bina Rai,Ajit & Nalini Jaywant.

Pages      :184
Publisher : Random House India
Price       :299/-