Life, in Seema Aavas’s ‘Mahayug’, is not linear. It falls, rises, collapses and begins again. The novel presents existence as an inevitable cycle of failure and renewal, where courage becomes a quiet force propelling its characters forward.

The narrative gathers fragments of lived experiences—memory, suffering, desire, resistance—while forming a flowing current. It turns back to the readers, asking them to reflect on their own lives and privileges.

Seema Aavas, known for her powerful, rebellious voice in her poetry and writings, dauntlessly pushes societal boundaries for women through her feminist literature. Her poem collection ‘Ma Stri Arthat Aaimai’ had also been nominated for the Madan Puraskar in 2017. With a vision to bring Nepali literature closer to Gen Z, she continues her legacy with ‘Mahayug’.

The idea of ‘Mahayug’ was inspired by a strange dream Aavas had seen during her student life. “In her dreams, she saw stones, trees, fruits covered with frost, and unmarried girls like her. She still hasn’t forgotten that dream where the sky, nature and human forms were different,” explains ekantipur.

Mahayug envelops the story of four generations of women— Bishnumaya, Chayadevi, Nilanjana and Ritija. Aavas beautifully portrays their relationship with nature, each other, and their inner selves in the novel, making it a journey of transitions and realisation of power.

Each chapter offers a meditation on what it means to be a woman in Nepal. Time changes, so do the characters, yet the society reeks of the same patriarchal ambitions.

Aavas introduces a distinctive borderline in ‘Mahayug’, separating it into two parts—Nilanjana and Yakshini. Nilanjana portrays the absurdities of socio-economic struggle underlined by the suffocating realities of patriarchy, binding women in the physical and emotional challenges of life. Yakshini embodies the spiritual journey of Nilanjana—a rebirth to enter the Mahayug, where salvation for women overflows— a space and time of the utmost feminine power.

Yakshini encounters people and nature on her journey, each interaction carrying a philosophical message that pushes her forward. Rather than serving as escapism, Yakshini reimagines women’s freedom outside patriarchal logic. It is here that Aavas’s philosophical ambitions come fully into view. She explains the story through meditation, dreams, and realism, blending it with a mythical essence.

‘Mahayug’ is not just a story of four generations of women. It mirrors the history of Nepali society, which remains tangible in language, customs, and everyday interactions. Aavas does not romanticise suffering; she refuses to portray women merely as victims. Instead, she foregrounds resilience as an everyday, often invisible act.

What significantly stands out in the novel is the compartmentalisation of the narration through evident headings— ‘Bhagwallai Sarap Dinchu’, ‘Pralaya Prarambha’, ‘Jagrit’, ‘Aafai Bhanchu Mero Katha’, ‘Mrityu bhanda bhayanak’, ‘Mancheko Byapar’, and other descriptions that ignite a conscious anticipation in the readers for the upcoming chapters. Aavas not only articulates the story in the chapters but also provokes the readers create their own through the headings.

Additionally, Aavas, through her short, simple yet striking sentence formation, helps readers build an extraordinary visualisation of the auditory experience. As though the dialogues and monologues are recited to the readers as a part of everyday conversation.

Symbolism plays a central role in ‘Mahayug’, particularly the recurring images of stones. Nilanjana dreams of a place where the seasons, time and even willow trees remain in inertia. The stones, however, are described as ever-changing in terms of shapes and colours.

This inversion—where elements associated with growth remain stagnant while those bound to remain still, evolve—suggests a powerful metaphor. Perhaps, giving a message of how women, who are capable of creation and renewal, are terrorised within the boundaries of society, while structures that should remain static adapt and survive.

An interesting philosophy that unfolds in the novel concerns language and death. It suggests that human beings forget their languages after dying, entering a realm where communication must be relearned. Perhaps the reason why we do not have concrete descriptions of the afterlife.

In her dreams, Nilanjana attempts to understand the language and sounds of the afterlife. This idea resonates deeply in a society where women are often denied language—both literal and symbolic—to articulate their experiences.

‘Mahayug’ articulates women’s capacity to love and hope. Regardless of society’s demoralising actions towards women, they still find the courage to embrace their vulnerability and turn it into their greatest strength.

Curating their self-identity, they remain connected to themselves, forging paths that do not rely on male validation. They love passionately, and therefore allow themselves to question, rebel and demand.

Life serves as the greatest uncertainty. The lives lived before us, with us, and after us pass by with the hope of a newer and better future. Regardless of how much women fight for themselves, they are still enveloped in the persistence of society’s suffocating terrors for women in the future. Therefore, liberation remains uncertain.

‘Mahayug’ asks its readers to move beyond conventional realities. It encourages resistance and envisions a yug overflowing with Stri Shakti, ie, feminine power. Without offering easy answers, it insists—quietly and persistently—that women’s stories, in all their complexities, can shape the future of Nepali literature.

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Mahayug

Author: Seema Aavas

Publisher: Book Hill

Year: 2025