Aavarana: The Veil

Aavarana: The Veil by S. L. Bhyrappa is a story of a free-spirited and rebellious young woman, Lakshmi, who marries the man she is deeply in love with. Amir, her husband, requests she convert to Islam, and she reluctantly agrees. Despite her father being completely against the marriage, she breaks ties with him and changes her name to Razia. However, things change for the worse, and she discovers a different side to Amir. He is not the progressive and liberal person she thought he was. He, along with his family, forces her into practicing Islam. This sets Lakshmi on a journey to uncover India's history of religion, caste, and creed. And she finds out that although Indian society has come a long way over the centuries, it still remains as rigid as before.