SHAKUNTALA BRIJ MOHAN, an 80-year-old who entered the ‘literary writers club’ at the age of 70, has depicted the plight of widows in Varanasi in her stories. She was motivated by her husband and encouraged by her nephew and her daughter-in-law. In one of her short stories, Anupama, Shakuntala has vividly described the life of widows, many of whom are brought from Bengal and Bihar and left in Varanasi by their relatives, to fend for themselves.

Born on June 1, 1920, in Varanasi, calm and soft-spoken Shakuntala, in an interview, said that after her marriage to Brij Mohan, a renowned professor of mathematics in Banaras Hindu University, she confined herself to looking after her family, although she was a graduate and had attained the degree of Sangeet Visharad. As an active member of the Ladies Club, Varanasi, she had numerous opportunities to deal with social evils, afflicting women.

Shakuntala wrote two essays which were really appreciated by her husband but even then she did not take to writing. However, she read short stories and novels available in the Central Library of BHU while she was confined to bed because of fracture. She shifted to Chandigarh in 1990 and found it difficult to spend time as her daughter-in-law would not allow her to do any household work.

So Shakuntala started writing her first book of short stories titled Dhoop Chhanv. Her husband, however, did not live to see it in the published form.

Renowned Hindi writer Shivani appreciated the effort of Shakuntala at the age when most people become disinterested in life itself. Another established Hindi writer, Shyam Singh ‘Shashi,’ also applauded Shakuntala's literary work.

After receiving encouragement from these established writers, Shakuntala did not pause but wrote seven more books of short stories, Bikhrey Sapney, Antardwandva, Abhishapta Jeevan, Pavitra Jhooth, Chakra Vyooh and Gunah. Her ninth book of short stories is also nearing completion.

Shakuntala was given an award by the Haryana Sahitya Akademi for her short story Ujra Ateet. Her collection of short stories titled Pavitra Jhooth was adjudged the best book by the same Akademi in 1994-95. Her short story Antardwandva also received the first prize by the Punjab Languages Department in 1991-92. Similarly her essay Kya Beti Paraya Dhan Hai was awarded the first prize by the Punjab Languages Department in 1994-95.

Her language is simple but has a flow. She feels that a woman is dependent on either one person or the other throughout her life. "First she lives under the protection of her parents and then under the watchful eyes of her husband. She does not have her own existence." She says that she has tried to depict all aspects of the life of a woman. Exploitation of women, insecurity faced by them, unsuccessful love marriages, ego problems between man and woman, conflict between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, problems of an unmarried mothers, divorcees, working women are a few topics of her short stories. Her stories expose the neo-rich society, which is living away from the realities of life, under the garb of modernisation.

Shakuntala also plans to publish her essays in a book form shortly. Some of these essays have already been published in newspapers and magazines.

Shakuntala feels that very few writers suggest solutions to the problem that they dwell on in their writings. About her writings she says, "Main aapne aap ko tim-timata deepak samajh kar samadhan deti hoon."

When told that the National Women Commission had opposed the proposal of awarding a death sentence to a rapist, Shakuntala expressed surprise over it because she is in favour of such a punishment for such a heinous crime.

She favours giving a child early education in the mother tongue as the child is supposed to learn things in a natural way. Imposition of English, she feels, kills the natural instinct of the child. English can be introduced at a later stage.