Tagore’s seminal work brings to fore the pathos of women through the practice of ‘Sati’. The play enacted by Delhi’s Japonchitro Theatre Group brings to the forefront, the story of Mahamaya, a young girl caught up in the throes of societal norms, social stigma and one’s innate need for survival.

Mahamaya and her young love for Rajib, embodies the purity and exuberance of youth. However, all was brought to naught when Mahamaya is compelled by societal norms of caste and practice of Sati. The pathos of her situation is seen when her brother (Bhawani Charan Chatterjee), who brought her up in the absence of her parents, allows her to be married to a dying man and be a Sati.

Fate had a different notion in store for her. While on the sati pyre, rain and a tumultuous storm help her to escape to her love. She spends years hidden behind a veil, hiding her scarred face. Societal mores of co-habitation are denied for her. The raging emotions of Rajib conflict with her desire to live and her guilt of having escaped death.