KSHAMA IS A KANNADA NOVEL BY SAHANA VIJAYAKUMAR THAT TELLS THE EMOTIONAL STORY OF PALLAVI, AN INTELLIGENT, WELL-EDUCATED IT PROFESSIONAL WHO IS MARRIED. DURING AN OFFICIAL WORK TRIP TO THE UNITED STATES, SHE UNEXPECTEDLY MEETS CHETAN (CHETU), HER CHILDHOOD SCHOOLMATE AND FORMER LOVER. CHETAN HAS ALWAYS LOVED PALLAVI, AND EVEN AFTER MANY YEARS, HIS FEELINGS REMAIN UNCHANGED. ALTHOUGH PALLAVI IS NOW MARRIED, THEIR REUNION REAWAKENS SUPPRESSED EMOTIONS BETWEEN THEM. DURING HER STAY IN THE US, THEY RECONNECT EMOTIONALLY AND SHARE A DEEPLY EMOTIONAL BOND, WHILE STILL TRYING TO MAINTAIN CERTAIN BOUNDARIES. CHETAN IS EVEN WILLING TO MARRY HER, BUT PALLAVI FINDS HERSELF TORN BETWEEN HER MARITAL LIFE AND UNRESOLVED LOVE. EVENTUALLY, SHE MAKES A CONTROVERSIAL AND EMOTIONALLY COMPLEX DECISION, TO HAVE A CHILD WITH CHETAN, SEEING THE CHILD AS A SYMBOL OF THEIR LOVE. THIS DECISION IS SHAPED BY HER TROUBLED PAST, ESPECIALLY THE TRAUMA OF HER MOTHER’S SUICIDE CAUSED BY HER FATHER’S EXTRAMARITAL AFFAIR, WHICH HAS LEFT PALLAVI UNABLE TO FORGIVE HIM. THE NOVEL EXPLORES WHETHER SHE GOES THROUGH WITH HER DECISION AND HOW HER EMOTIONAL CONFLICTS UNFOLD, MAKING IT A LAYERED AND INTENSE STORY ABOUT LOVE, GUILT, FORGIVENESS, AND MORAL CHOICES.
पल्लवी, एक उच्चशिक्षित, हुशार, विवाहित आयटियन तरुणी... ऑफिसच्या कामाच्या निमित्ताने ती अमेरिकेला जाते आणि अनपेक्षितपणे तिच्यासमोर उभा ठाकतो चेतन (चेतू), तिचा शाळूसोबती. चेतूचं आणि तिचं परस्परांवर प्रेम असतं; पण काही कारणाने ते लग्न करू शकलेले नसतात. आता तिचं लग्न झाल्यानंतर बऱ्याच कालावधीने ते एकमेकांसमोर आलेत. अविवाहित असलेला चेतू अजूनही तिच्यावर तेवढंच प्रेम करतोय. तिच्या अमेरिकेतल्या मुक्कामात ते परस्परांवर प्रेमाची मुक्त उधळण करतात, अर्थात मर्यादा सांभाळून; चेतू तर तिच्याशी लग्न करायलाही तयार असतो; पण ती संसार आणि प्रेम या द्वंद्वात सापडते. शेवटी ती असा निर्णय घेते की चेतूपासून मूल होऊ द्यायचं आणि ते मूल त्यांच्या प्रेमाची निशाणी असेल. तिच्या वडिलांच्या विवाहबाह्य संबंधांमुळे तिच्या आईने आत्महत्या केलीय. ती वडिलांना क्षमा करू शकलेली नाही. या पार्श्वभूमीवर ती तिच्या निर्णयाची अंमलबजावणी करते का? भावांदोलनांनी सजलेली व्यामिश्र कादंबरी.