Melancholic Existential Regal Life as Portrayed in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's The Forest of Enchantments

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is a prolific Indian writer, speaker and activist. She has authored more than 21 novels and, her themes stand unique and appealing to the readers. Simple life incidents, women and their role in family, love, loyalty and morals are some common themes centred in the works of Chitra. Being an activist, she extensively speaks about women and their self-esteem and the ways to keep it up amidst patriarchy. The novel, The Forest of Enchantments is based on the epic, Ramayana narrated through the voice of Sita. This novel is unique in that it traces the life values and the mere existence of regal women who are destined to lead only a life filled with compromise.