Neil D’Silva’s “Yakshini” touches on a coming-of-age aspect which is rarely acknowledged in the literary world: that little girls whose bodies mature faster than others frequently find themselves at the center of a sizable amount of predatory abuse.
Thirteen-year-old Meenakshi comes from a rural community where women’s rights are scant and, when aggression takes place, the “boys will be boys” mentality thrives. In steady succession, she endures horror after horror, with each sexual transgression against her fueling the fury of the Yakshini, an unearthly being which has been forced to share her body. As the violence comes to a climax, Meenakshi is saved only via child marriage to a grown man, which transports her to a new life in Mumbai. At this point, the Yakshini’s rage has become so overwhelming that it threatens to overtake Meenakshi completely, dominating her every bit as much as the men which she strives to escape.
Harikumar, described in the book blurb as Meenakshi’s “true love,” is without doubt this book’s biggest flaw. “Yakshini” seems to downplay the child marriage aspect by emphasizing that, despite loudly masturbating within her earshot, Harikumar does not have sex with Meenakshi until she is eighteen. Frankly, given that he has the power to do so, this comes off as somewhat irrelevant. He may be a cut above the other men the story, (never attempting to violently assault Meenakshi,) but regardless, he is so sexually obsessed with her that him being better than others does not establish him as being good either.
When Meenakshi takes makes the choice at the end of the book which she does, her life has been so ruined by the males around her that one can understand her stepping to the side and letting the Yakshini take the wheel.
All in all, “Yakshini” has a good opening hook and a smooth, easy-to-read literary style. D’Silva maintains the provocative and primal tone which catapulted him to being a habitual #1 best-seller. Fans of his other works, “Maya’s New Husband” and “Pisacha,” will not be disappointed by the in-your-face gore and dark sexual themes which “Yakshini” presents.
