Mata Naveena

In the East Indian state of Bihar, an area poor in finances but rich in vibrant culture, the long-awaited spring season has finally arrived. But as her family gathers on the veranda to celebrate the first tempest of the year, young Shashi Verma hides away in a bedroom closet, startled by the violent rumbling of thunder.

And for eight-year old Shashi, this isn’t the only time she will find herself frightened into silence. Upon experiencing a devastating trauma at the hands of an older relative, her mother’s reaction transforms the event into a secret shame—and as the cycle of the seasons continues to pass, the pain of this shocking encounter begins to take an even deeper toll on her psychological well-being.

A literary tale set in twentieth-century India, Mata Naveena is a heartbreaking exploration of the long-lasting effects of childhood trauma, as Shashi comes of age and eventually faces the struggles of raising her own family. Featuring candid glimpses of Indian culture, the nature of tragedy, and the passage of time, it is a story of one woman’s downfall and unlikely redemption, before the cycle of life repeats once again.