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Bhima's Wife
Before Draupadi, there was Hidimbi. The first, the eldest Pandava daughter-in-law—a status denied to her through her life, through the years, down the centuries. She remains the forgotten wife, the forgotten queen, the forgotten woman, in the Mahabharata.
Hidimbi was a demoness by birth and a queen by right. In the shadows of the great Indian epic, she stands alone. She saved Bhima. She bore his son. She stood by the family that killed her brother. And when the call of war came, she sacrificed her only child—Ghatotkacha, the first Pandava grandson—for a cause that never truly embraced her.
Why was her story never told? Was it because she was a rakshasi, or because the heroes of the epic could do no wrong?
This powerful reimagining gives voice to Hidimbi and her story of love and betrayal, strength and sacrifice.
Hidimbi was a demoness by birth and a queen by right. In the shadows of the great Indian epic, she stands alone. She saved Bhima. She bore his son. She stood by the family that killed her brother. And when the call of war came, she sacrificed her only child—Ghatotkacha, the first Pandava grandson—for a cause that never truly embraced her.
Why was her story never told? Was it because she was a rakshasi, or because the heroes of the epic could do no wrong?
This powerful reimagining gives voice to Hidimbi and her story of love and betrayal, strength and sacrifice.
352 pages, Paperback
Published December 2, 2025
10 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
About the author
Kavita Kané
13 books737 followersA senior journalist with a career of over two decades, which includes working for Magna publication and DNA, she quit her job as Assistant Editor of Times of India to devote herself as a full time author. A self-styled aficionado of cinema and theatre and sufficiently armed with a post-graduate degree in English Literature and Mass Communication from the University of Pune, the only skill she knows, she candidly confesses, is writing.
Karna's Wife her debut novel, (2013)was a bestseller. Her second novel - Sita's Sister (2014) also deals with another enigmatic personality - Urmila, probably the most overlooked character in the Ramayan. Menaka's Choice(2015) ,another best-seller, is about the famous apsara and her infamous liaison with Vishwamitra the man she was sent to destroy. Lanka's Princess (2016) is her fourth book based on Ravan's sister, Surpanakha, the Princess of Lanka who was also its destroyer...
Born in Mumbai, a childhood spent largely in Patna and Delhi , Kavita currently lives in Pune with her mariner husband Prakash and two daughters Kimaya and Amiya with Chic the black cocker spaniel and Cotton the white, curious cat.
Karna's Wife her debut novel, (2013)was a bestseller. Her second novel - Sita's Sister (2014) also deals with another enigmatic personality - Urmila, probably the most overlooked character in the Ramayan. Menaka's Choice(2015) ,another best-seller, is about the famous apsara and her infamous liaison with Vishwamitra the man she was sent to destroy. Lanka's Princess (2016) is her fourth book based on Ravan's sister, Surpanakha, the Princess of Lanka who was also its destroyer...
Born in Mumbai, a childhood spent largely in Patna and Delhi , Kavita currently lives in Pune with her mariner husband Prakash and two daughters Kimaya and Amiya with Chic the black cocker spaniel and Cotton the white, curious cat.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
November 24, 2025
Some stories don’t shout for your attention they quietly find a corner of your heart and sit there. Bhima’s Wife felt exactly like that for me. I picked it up thinking I already knew the Mahabharata, but this book gently reminded me how much of history is shaped by the voices we never hear. And Hidimbi… she is one of those voices we should have heard long ago.
Kavita Kané brings her to life with a softness that hits unexpectedly. You don’t just read Hidimbi — you feel her. A woman who wasn’t a princess, wasn’t accepted, wasn’t celebrated… yet loved with her whole heart. A woman who saved Bhima, loved him, built a life with him, and still stood outside the circle that was supposed to be her home. There’s something deeply human about her longing to belong.
The parts that stayed with me the longest were her sacrifices , the kind no mother, no woman, should ever have to make. Loving a man who killed her brother. Standing with a family that never called her their own. And then offering her only son to a war that didn’t even consider her worthy of a name. That kind of pain doesn’t scream , it quietly breaks you.
What touched me the most was the way the author refuses to paint Hidimbi as either a victim or a legend. She lets her be real — flawed, fiery, vulnerable, stubborn, tender… all the things women in epics rarely get to be. Through simple but powerful writing, she makes you question why Hidimbi’s story was ignored. Was it because she was a rakshasi? Or because it’s easier to glorify heroes when their mistakes stay hidden?
By the time I finished, I wasn’t just turning the last page , I was sitting with her story, thinking about how many women like Hidimbi have been forgotten simply because they didn’t fit the perfect mould. This book doesn’t just retell an old tale; it brings dignity, depth, and emotion to a woman who deserved so much more than silence.
If you love stories that make you pause, feel, and rethink everything you thought you knew about our epics, this is a book that will stay with you long after you’re done reading. It stayed with me and honestly, I think it will stay with you too.
Kavita Kané brings her to life with a softness that hits unexpectedly. You don’t just read Hidimbi — you feel her. A woman who wasn’t a princess, wasn’t accepted, wasn’t celebrated… yet loved with her whole heart. A woman who saved Bhima, loved him, built a life with him, and still stood outside the circle that was supposed to be her home. There’s something deeply human about her longing to belong.
The parts that stayed with me the longest were her sacrifices , the kind no mother, no woman, should ever have to make. Loving a man who killed her brother. Standing with a family that never called her their own. And then offering her only son to a war that didn’t even consider her worthy of a name. That kind of pain doesn’t scream , it quietly breaks you.
What touched me the most was the way the author refuses to paint Hidimbi as either a victim or a legend. She lets her be real — flawed, fiery, vulnerable, stubborn, tender… all the things women in epics rarely get to be. Through simple but powerful writing, she makes you question why Hidimbi’s story was ignored. Was it because she was a rakshasi? Or because it’s easier to glorify heroes when their mistakes stay hidden?
By the time I finished, I wasn’t just turning the last page , I was sitting with her story, thinking about how many women like Hidimbi have been forgotten simply because they didn’t fit the perfect mould. This book doesn’t just retell an old tale; it brings dignity, depth, and emotion to a woman who deserved so much more than silence.
If you love stories that make you pause, feel, and rethink everything you thought you knew about our epics, this is a book that will stay with you long after you’re done reading. It stayed with me and honestly, I think it will stay with you too.
December 21, 2025
Hidimbi.
Sister of Hidimba who was killed by Bhima, the third Pandava brother.
The Rakshashi who married Bhima.
Mother of Ghatotkacha.
This is essentially all I knew about Hidimbi. I'd never given her a second thought after reading the small bit of the Mahabharata in which she featured. In fact, I don't recall any mention of this character at all after she weds Bhima. The image I have in mind from the epics I have read is of a wild, ferocious she-demon.
The core story - a young tribal girl from the mountains. She falls in love with a man whom she marries and has a child with him. A man who then goes off to live out his destiny, leaving her to raise their son alone, as a single mother. Then here comes Kavitha Kane who expanded this story and gave this character such life and breadth! It was just amazing 🖤 You see how Hidimbi suffers to raise Kach alone, how she battles perceptions that as a woman she cannot be Queen, how she perseveres and overcomes all the challenges she faces. Kane doesn't exalt Hidimbi nor is the character victimised.
Hidimbi was many things- loving while also begrudging that love. Savage and yet fearful. Passionate but also pensive. A true study in contradictions. All of which made for a character of such agency and empowerment.
Beyond reading about Hidimbi's story, I felt this book gave me a deeper insight into Kunti, Bhima and even Draupadi than I ever had previously.
Kunti's machinations & strategizing to ensure her sons' position as the heirs to the throne of Hastinapura. She was also a single mother and always schemed in the best interests of her sons. Even how she made the brothers share a wife is put forward here in a way that I never considered before but which made so much sense.
And then Bhima. His thoughts and hopes. His doubts and fears. His frustrations at having to toe his brother's and mother's line for what they felt was best for their family to the exclusion of his feelings. The pain because he had to leave his wife and child. For the first time, I saw him in a different light than he is usually portrayed in the Mahabharata. He was so much more than a hulking, mighty warrior who was an expert at the mace and who loved food. But, ultimately, he was still bound by the chains of fate and his brothers and abandoned his wife and son.
We get a glimpse into Draupadi's mind after the humiliations she suffered... by her cheerharan (her disrobing), her exile for 14 years, her abduction by Jayadrath. Reading about those traumatic events was very difficult because Kane has breathed such life into Draupadi even in the small space she appears in the book. I was blown away by the conversation between two Queens.
As I grow older, I realise I want my books to give me more than I expected when I was younger. Then, I'd read and accept everything at face value. Now, there are so many more questions and strong opinions. And Bhima's Wife delivered on all fronts.
I do not have enough words to describe how this book affected me.
Listing here the pages that made an impact on me 257, 297, 300, 301, 303, 304.
"Every woman deserves respect... She commands it, whether she is a Rakshasi or a princess, a wife or a daughter or a mother"
"Her endurance is not empowerment—it is survival forced by patriarchy. Her silence is not consent; her strength is not a choice".
"...her beauty was a mere excuse for me who assumed chastity and sexuality in women to be mutually exclusive.."
"The gender apartheid methodically objectifies women, thereby dehumanizing them, by silencing them, hiding them, imprisoning them, wholly burying their identity.."
Sister of Hidimba who was killed by Bhima, the third Pandava brother.
The Rakshashi who married Bhima.
Mother of Ghatotkacha.
This is essentially all I knew about Hidimbi. I'd never given her a second thought after reading the small bit of the Mahabharata in which she featured. In fact, I don't recall any mention of this character at all after she weds Bhima. The image I have in mind from the epics I have read is of a wild, ferocious she-demon.
The core story - a young tribal girl from the mountains. She falls in love with a man whom she marries and has a child with him. A man who then goes off to live out his destiny, leaving her to raise their son alone, as a single mother. Then here comes Kavitha Kane who expanded this story and gave this character such life and breadth! It was just amazing 🖤 You see how Hidimbi suffers to raise Kach alone, how she battles perceptions that as a woman she cannot be Queen, how she perseveres and overcomes all the challenges she faces. Kane doesn't exalt Hidimbi nor is the character victimised.
Hidimbi was many things- loving while also begrudging that love. Savage and yet fearful. Passionate but also pensive. A true study in contradictions. All of which made for a character of such agency and empowerment.
Beyond reading about Hidimbi's story, I felt this book gave me a deeper insight into Kunti, Bhima and even Draupadi than I ever had previously.
Kunti's machinations & strategizing to ensure her sons' position as the heirs to the throne of Hastinapura. She was also a single mother and always schemed in the best interests of her sons. Even how she made the brothers share a wife is put forward here in a way that I never considered before but which made so much sense.
And then Bhima. His thoughts and hopes. His doubts and fears. His frustrations at having to toe his brother's and mother's line for what they felt was best for their family to the exclusion of his feelings. The pain because he had to leave his wife and child. For the first time, I saw him in a different light than he is usually portrayed in the Mahabharata. He was so much more than a hulking, mighty warrior who was an expert at the mace and who loved food. But, ultimately, he was still bound by the chains of fate and his brothers and abandoned his wife and son.
We get a glimpse into Draupadi's mind after the humiliations she suffered... by her cheerharan (her disrobing), her exile for 14 years, her abduction by Jayadrath. Reading about those traumatic events was very difficult because Kane has breathed such life into Draupadi even in the small space she appears in the book. I was blown away by the conversation between two Queens.
As I grow older, I realise I want my books to give me more than I expected when I was younger. Then, I'd read and accept everything at face value. Now, there are so many more questions and strong opinions. And Bhima's Wife delivered on all fronts.
I do not have enough words to describe how this book affected me.
Listing here the pages that made an impact on me 257, 297, 300, 301, 303, 304.
"Every woman deserves respect... She commands it, whether she is a Rakshasi or a princess, a wife or a daughter or a mother"
"Her endurance is not empowerment—it is survival forced by patriarchy. Her silence is not consent; her strength is not a choice".
"...her beauty was a mere excuse for me who assumed chastity and sexuality in women to be mutually exclusive.."
"The gender apartheid methodically objectifies women, thereby dehumanizing them, by silencing them, hiding them, imprisoning them, wholly burying their identity.."
November 12, 2025
4.25/5 ⭐
As a child when my grandmother used to tell me stories about mythology, i remember me being curious enough to ask her so many questions but sadly she wasn't able to answer the right ones.
What I like most about Kane's writing is that she always picks up the most formidable women who are unfortunate enough that the history and texts have very conveniently forgotten and tells their side of the story.
Another thing which intrigues me about Kane's writing is the way she humanises her characters. She portrays her women characters as women only not as the immortals which we are in a habit to revere so much, her characters are not untouched by the vulnerabilities, fragility and the flawed nature of human beings.
This book centers around Hidimbi, Bhima's wife who was a Rakshasi and the Princess of Kamyaka Forest. The book takes you on a journey where a young prince falls in love with a tribal princess, in their youth they forget that there is a social construct that doesn't allow them to be together yet they dared to love and cherish each other, only if it was for a while.
This book will take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions where you'll witness Bhima and Hidimbi fall in love, a woman wronged, her plight as an abandoned wife, her lonely, resilient yet a very graceful journey as a single mother and clan's Queen, her becoming a different woman altogether shaped by her experiences, facing her past, resenting Bhima to forgiving him for all the pain that he has caused and lastly to losing her son for the greater cause and making peace with it.
Hidimbi's character shifts so beautifully that you'd be able to feel it in your bones, the unnecessary sacrifices which are demanded of women and only of women just to put them in fake high esteem later. You will feel a shift with every emotion passing through the book, you'd be able to admire her wiseness yet at the same time you'd be able to feel how hollow and empty she might have felt because at the end it's her who had lost all.
Hidimbi's story is every woman's story who dared to break the mould, who tried to live freely, choose freely and love freely.
As a child when my grandmother used to tell me stories about mythology, i remember me being curious enough to ask her so many questions but sadly she wasn't able to answer the right ones.
What I like most about Kane's writing is that she always picks up the most formidable women who are unfortunate enough that the history and texts have very conveniently forgotten and tells their side of the story.
Another thing which intrigues me about Kane's writing is the way she humanises her characters. She portrays her women characters as women only not as the immortals which we are in a habit to revere so much, her characters are not untouched by the vulnerabilities, fragility and the flawed nature of human beings.
This book centers around Hidimbi, Bhima's wife who was a Rakshasi and the Princess of Kamyaka Forest. The book takes you on a journey where a young prince falls in love with a tribal princess, in their youth they forget that there is a social construct that doesn't allow them to be together yet they dared to love and cherish each other, only if it was for a while.
This book will take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions where you'll witness Bhima and Hidimbi fall in love, a woman wronged, her plight as an abandoned wife, her lonely, resilient yet a very graceful journey as a single mother and clan's Queen, her becoming a different woman altogether shaped by her experiences, facing her past, resenting Bhima to forgiving him for all the pain that he has caused and lastly to losing her son for the greater cause and making peace with it.
Hidimbi's character shifts so beautifully that you'd be able to feel it in your bones, the unnecessary sacrifices which are demanded of women and only of women just to put them in fake high esteem later. You will feel a shift with every emotion passing through the book, you'd be able to admire her wiseness yet at the same time you'd be able to feel how hollow and empty she might have felt because at the end it's her who had lost all.
Hidimbi's story is every woman's story who dared to break the mould, who tried to live freely, choose freely and love freely.
January 5, 2026
" _A family she had declined to acknowledge in this very forest. The daughter-in-law she had forsaken_ ."
I started this year by reading what I love to read. Kavita Kane writes about one of the most underrated female pillars of the Mahabharata, the woman who no one ever explored in literature.
'Bhima's Wife' is more than just an exploration of Hidimbi as Ghatotkach's mother or Bhima's 'wife'.
The beauty of Kane's exceptional writing is that she makes you live through her protagonists. She has a soft yet bold feminist take.
'Bhima's Wife' brings out layers of emotional and personal changes in Hidimbi's life.
From a young woman who's deprived of family love, and is scared of her brother Hidimb's wrath, she is slowly and very maturely shown as the woman in love with the Pandava prince, Bhima. Despite knowing the challenges, the void that their separation would bring, Bhima and Hidimbi marry.
And therefore starts new emotional challenges, of being an unwanted daughter-in-law, of being a single mother, and living with a gripping terror of losing her child to him, to them.
From a woman who just wanted to be free, and experience freedom in her own land with her own people to a mother grieving her child's death, Kane represents Hidimbi's dual nature of being fierce and vulnerable.
Kavita Kane's portrayal of Hidimbi is a mirror of the general wife of a woman- their wants and dreams, lost in sacrifices and warmth of motherhood, to not be a victim, but heroically overcome all odds.
If you wish to read an engaging feminist mythology fiction, with engaging storytelling, vivid and poignant, then 'Bhima's Wife' by Kavita Kane is a must-read book.
I started this year by reading what I love to read. Kavita Kane writes about one of the most underrated female pillars of the Mahabharata, the woman who no one ever explored in literature.
'Bhima's Wife' is more than just an exploration of Hidimbi as Ghatotkach's mother or Bhima's 'wife'.
The beauty of Kane's exceptional writing is that she makes you live through her protagonists. She has a soft yet bold feminist take.
'Bhima's Wife' brings out layers of emotional and personal changes in Hidimbi's life.
From a young woman who's deprived of family love, and is scared of her brother Hidimb's wrath, she is slowly and very maturely shown as the woman in love with the Pandava prince, Bhima. Despite knowing the challenges, the void that their separation would bring, Bhima and Hidimbi marry.
And therefore starts new emotional challenges, of being an unwanted daughter-in-law, of being a single mother, and living with a gripping terror of losing her child to him, to them.
From a woman who just wanted to be free, and experience freedom in her own land with her own people to a mother grieving her child's death, Kane represents Hidimbi's dual nature of being fierce and vulnerable.
Kavita Kane's portrayal of Hidimbi is a mirror of the general wife of a woman- their wants and dreams, lost in sacrifices and warmth of motherhood, to not be a victim, but heroically overcome all odds.
If you wish to read an engaging feminist mythology fiction, with engaging storytelling, vivid and poignant, then 'Bhima's Wife' by Kavita Kane is a must-read book.
January 8, 2026
Most people call Hidimbi a monster just because she lived in the forest. But if you read this book, you’ll see she was actually the kindest person in the Mahabharata. The "royal" family were the ones acting cold and mean, while Hidimbi was the one showing true love.
She saved Bhima’s life when she didn't have to. She married him because she loved him, not for a crown. But as soon as the wedding was over, the Pandavas basically said, "Thanks for the help, but you're too different for us," and left her behind. She didn't turn bitter or mean. Instead, she stayed in her forest and became a powerful, independent woman.
The saddest part is that she raised her son to be a hero, even though his father wasn't there to help. When the big war started, she didn't hide him. She let him go help the family that rejected her. This book proves that being a "hero" isn't about wearing gold or living in a palace-it’s about what’s in your heart. Hidimbi was a queen in every way that actually matters.
She saved Bhima’s life when she didn't have to. She married him because she loved him, not for a crown. But as soon as the wedding was over, the Pandavas basically said, "Thanks for the help, but you're too different for us," and left her behind. She didn't turn bitter or mean. Instead, she stayed in her forest and became a powerful, independent woman.
The saddest part is that she raised her son to be a hero, even though his father wasn't there to help. When the big war started, she didn't hide him. She let him go help the family that rejected her. This book proves that being a "hero" isn't about wearing gold or living in a palace-it’s about what’s in your heart. Hidimbi was a queen in every way that actually matters.
December 9, 2025
There are books that entertain, books that move, and then there are books that quietly alter the way you look at stories you thought you already knew. Bhima’s Wife belongs to the last category. Kavita Kané takes a figure pushed to the periphery of mythology, Hidimbi, the first Pandava daughter-in-law, the forgotten queen, the erased woman and turns her into a living, breathing force. It is not merely a retelling; it is a reclamation. A correction. A voice finally allowed to speak.
The Mahabharata is filled with grand heroes and dramatic arcs, but its women often exist as symbols, chastity, duty, devotion, sacrifice. She breaks this pattern.
She asks a simple but unsettling question:
❓ Does a woman become invisible because she is unimportant, or does she become unimportant because she was made invisible?
Hidimbi’s erasure is not accidental; it is systemic. She doesn’t fit the acceptable mould, a rakshasi, an outsider, a woman whose love story doesn’t look like a love story at all.
Hidimbi spends her entire life trying to be part of a world that never fully opens its doors to her. The thematic core is painfully humane, She loves a man who killed her brother. She gives her loyalty to a family that never names her their own. She sacrifices her only son for a cause that never embraced her.
This isn’t just mythology, this is the lived reality of countless women who love deeply but remain on the fringes of the family they give everything to. She captures this ache without melodrama. It is quiet, It is lived and it cuts.
The author refuses to glorify Hidimbi.
She also refuses to victimize her. Hidimbi is allowed to be contradictory like fierce yet afraid, powerful yet powerless, impulsive yet thoughtful, and loving yet resentful.
This thematic honesty is rare in mythological fiction, where characters often become archetypes. Here, the archetype dissolves; the woman remains.
The subplot involving Hidimb, her tyrant brother, and the politics of Kamyakavana adds an unexpected but meaningful layer. The book examines how greed warps bloodlines, how power corrodes empathy and how violence becomes tradition before it becomes tragedy.
🌟 STRENGTHS :
✔ She approaches Hidimbi not as a mythological figure but as a woman shaped by trauma, love, longing, and betrayal. Her emotional reality is given priority over epic grandeur.
✔ The prose is poetic but not ornamental, emotional but not sentimental. Lines land like whispers or wounds never forced.
✔ In this book, Everyone is human first, flawed, conflicted, believable. Bhima is not romanticized, the Pandavas are not glorified and Hidimbi is not sanitized.
✔ The author does not “teach feminism”, she lets Hidimbi live it. Her questions about acceptance, identity, and dignity arise organically.
✔ Some scenes, Hidimbi watching Bhima leave, Hidimbi surrendering Ghatotkacha to the war, are written with a devastating stillness that feels almost like grief made into language.
✒️ AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT :
✘ Some sections, especially those exploring the politics of the forest kingdom, feel slightly stretched. The tension dips occasionally, diluting the emotional intensity.
✘ We understand Hidimbi deeply, but Bhima remains somewhat distant. That may be intentional, but it leaves the relationship slightly unbalanced.
✘ Those familiar with the author's style may find certain emotional arcs familiar. The narrative framework mirrors her earlier mythological reimaginations.
💬 MOST POWERFUL UNDERCURRENTS :
• Love that exists without belonging
• Sacrifice that asks for nothing in return
• The violence of being tolerated but never accepted
• A mother’s grief turned into destiny
In conclusion, it is not a loud book. It does not try to shock, accuse, or rewrite epics with a heavy hand. Instead, it chooses tenderness. It chooses truth. It chooses perspective over spectacle. Hidimbi’s story, finally told, feels like a wound that has waited centuries for a voice and she gives her that voice with dignity, clarity, and emotional intelligence. This is a book for anyone who has ever wondered Who are the women missing from our stories and what happens to their lives when we don’t look?
The Mahabharata is filled with grand heroes and dramatic arcs, but its women often exist as symbols, chastity, duty, devotion, sacrifice. She breaks this pattern.
She asks a simple but unsettling question:
❓ Does a woman become invisible because she is unimportant, or does she become unimportant because she was made invisible?
Hidimbi’s erasure is not accidental; it is systemic. She doesn’t fit the acceptable mould, a rakshasi, an outsider, a woman whose love story doesn’t look like a love story at all.
Hidimbi spends her entire life trying to be part of a world that never fully opens its doors to her. The thematic core is painfully humane, She loves a man who killed her brother. She gives her loyalty to a family that never names her their own. She sacrifices her only son for a cause that never embraced her.
This isn’t just mythology, this is the lived reality of countless women who love deeply but remain on the fringes of the family they give everything to. She captures this ache without melodrama. It is quiet, It is lived and it cuts.
The author refuses to glorify Hidimbi.
She also refuses to victimize her. Hidimbi is allowed to be contradictory like fierce yet afraid, powerful yet powerless, impulsive yet thoughtful, and loving yet resentful.
This thematic honesty is rare in mythological fiction, where characters often become archetypes. Here, the archetype dissolves; the woman remains.
The subplot involving Hidimb, her tyrant brother, and the politics of Kamyakavana adds an unexpected but meaningful layer. The book examines how greed warps bloodlines, how power corrodes empathy and how violence becomes tradition before it becomes tragedy.
🌟 STRENGTHS :
✔ She approaches Hidimbi not as a mythological figure but as a woman shaped by trauma, love, longing, and betrayal. Her emotional reality is given priority over epic grandeur.
✔ The prose is poetic but not ornamental, emotional but not sentimental. Lines land like whispers or wounds never forced.
✔ In this book, Everyone is human first, flawed, conflicted, believable. Bhima is not romanticized, the Pandavas are not glorified and Hidimbi is not sanitized.
✔ The author does not “teach feminism”, she lets Hidimbi live it. Her questions about acceptance, identity, and dignity arise organically.
✔ Some scenes, Hidimbi watching Bhima leave, Hidimbi surrendering Ghatotkacha to the war, are written with a devastating stillness that feels almost like grief made into language.
✒️ AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT :
✘ Some sections, especially those exploring the politics of the forest kingdom, feel slightly stretched. The tension dips occasionally, diluting the emotional intensity.
✘ We understand Hidimbi deeply, but Bhima remains somewhat distant. That may be intentional, but it leaves the relationship slightly unbalanced.
✘ Those familiar with the author's style may find certain emotional arcs familiar. The narrative framework mirrors her earlier mythological reimaginations.
💬 MOST POWERFUL UNDERCURRENTS :
• Love that exists without belonging
• Sacrifice that asks for nothing in return
• The violence of being tolerated but never accepted
• A mother’s grief turned into destiny
In conclusion, it is not a loud book. It does not try to shock, accuse, or rewrite epics with a heavy hand. Instead, it chooses tenderness. It chooses truth. It chooses perspective over spectacle. Hidimbi’s story, finally told, feels like a wound that has waited centuries for a voice and she gives her that voice with dignity, clarity, and emotional intelligence. This is a book for anyone who has ever wondered Who are the women missing from our stories and what happens to their lives when we don’t look?
December 22, 2025
Bhima’s Wife by Kavita Kané is a retelling that brings attention to Hidimbi, a figure who appears only briefly in the Mahabharata. Through this novel, Kane aims to give voice to a character often overlooked in the epic. The book presents Hidimbi’s perspective, her experiences, and the circumstances that shape her life. By doing so, it offers readers a fresh way of understanding a familiar story.
The novel begins with Hidimbi’s life in the forest, where she lives with her brother and follows the customs of her clan. Her world changes when the Pandavas enter the forest during their exile. Hidimbi meets Bhima, and their brief relationship leads to the birth of their son, Ghatotkacha.
The story then follows Hidimbi as she navigates the challenges of raising her child alone, dealing with Bhima’s departure, and finding her own identity beyond the labels of demoness, lover, and mother. Kané focuses on Hidimbi’s thoughts, emotions, and the decisions she makes as she tries to build a life in the shadow of a great epic.
Hidimbi’s choices, especially her decision to fall in love with Bhima, are treated with sensitivity. The reader is never pushed to judge her harshly..instead, Kané helps us understand the emotions that guide her. Through Hidimbi’s voice, the book shows how deeply she loved, and how honestly she hoped. It becomes difficult to blame her for anything, because the storytelling makes her motivations feel real and human.
One of the strongest aspects of the novel is the way Kane highlights the problem of “royal blood.” Hidimbi is denied basic rights and dignity simply because she belongs to the Rakshasa clan, and the book makes this injustice clear without exaggeration. This is a part of the Mahabharata that is rarely discussed, and Kané brings it to the forefront with quiet force.
The novel also draws attention to the subtle superiority shown by characters like the Pandavas and Kunti. Their sense of privilege is not loud, but it is present in the way they view Hidimbi...as someone lesser, someone outside their world. Kané portrays this divide with clarity, reminding readers that power often comes with blind spots.
The novel begins with Hidimbi’s life in the forest, where she lives with her brother and follows the customs of her clan. Her world changes when the Pandavas enter the forest during their exile. Hidimbi meets Bhima, and their brief relationship leads to the birth of their son, Ghatotkacha.
The story then follows Hidimbi as she navigates the challenges of raising her child alone, dealing with Bhima’s departure, and finding her own identity beyond the labels of demoness, lover, and mother. Kané focuses on Hidimbi’s thoughts, emotions, and the decisions she makes as she tries to build a life in the shadow of a great epic.
Hidimbi’s choices, especially her decision to fall in love with Bhima, are treated with sensitivity. The reader is never pushed to judge her harshly..instead, Kané helps us understand the emotions that guide her. Through Hidimbi’s voice, the book shows how deeply she loved, and how honestly she hoped. It becomes difficult to blame her for anything, because the storytelling makes her motivations feel real and human.
One of the strongest aspects of the novel is the way Kane highlights the problem of “royal blood.” Hidimbi is denied basic rights and dignity simply because she belongs to the Rakshasa clan, and the book makes this injustice clear without exaggeration. This is a part of the Mahabharata that is rarely discussed, and Kané brings it to the forefront with quiet force.
The novel also draws attention to the subtle superiority shown by characters like the Pandavas and Kunti. Their sense of privilege is not loud, but it is present in the way they view Hidimbi...as someone lesser, someone outside their world. Kané portrays this divide with clarity, reminding readers that power often comes with blind spots.
January 10, 2026
Bhima's Wife, a powerful and riveting exploration of the unseen first daughter in law of Kunti. She was shadowed by enigmatic Draupadi, she was forgotten until the time of sacrifice, Mahabharata remembered her only when Pandavas needed the sacrifice of Rakshasa.
Kavita Kane's @kavitakane mesmerizing writing makes Hidimbi prominent and visible in readers eyes, and when we see her, we wouldn't calm down, the book was absolutely unputdownable.
Kane portrayed her with bold stroke and a soft undertone kept readers allured in every page, Hidimbi here is not only just a forgotten jungle girl, she is rather a princess in a lush green landscape, she is Pallavi and breathing through Kane's words. Pallavi, a princess in the woods.
Before Draupadi, there was Hidimbi. The first, the eldest Pandava daughter-in-law―a status denied to her through her life, through the years, down the centuries. She remains the forgotten wife, the forgotten queen, the forgotten woman, in the Mahabharata.
Hidimbi was a demoness by birth and a queen by right. In the shadows of the great Indian epic, she stands alone. She saved Bhima. She bore his son. She stood by the family that killed her brother. And when the call of war came, she sacrificed her only child―Ghatotkacha, the first Pandava grandson―for a cause that never truly embraced her.
Why was her story never told? Was it because she was a rakshasi, or because the heroes of the epic could do no wrong?
This powerful reimagining gives voice to Hidimbi and her story of love and betrayal, strength and sacrifice.
Kavita Kane's brilliant writing gave the unheard Pallavi a new voice, the girl who turned out to be a neglected woman in the greatest epic. A lot of women were faced grave anguish and humiliation but Hidimbi remained unseen, unheard like she didn't deserve to be heard, but this book captured all the unprecedented pain, her emotions, her dreams, that was crushed and erased ruthlessly.
Loved reading this so much 🩷
Kavita Kane's @kavitakane mesmerizing writing makes Hidimbi prominent and visible in readers eyes, and when we see her, we wouldn't calm down, the book was absolutely unputdownable.
Kane portrayed her with bold stroke and a soft undertone kept readers allured in every page, Hidimbi here is not only just a forgotten jungle girl, she is rather a princess in a lush green landscape, she is Pallavi and breathing through Kane's words. Pallavi, a princess in the woods.
Before Draupadi, there was Hidimbi. The first, the eldest Pandava daughter-in-law―a status denied to her through her life, through the years, down the centuries. She remains the forgotten wife, the forgotten queen, the forgotten woman, in the Mahabharata.
Hidimbi was a demoness by birth and a queen by right. In the shadows of the great Indian epic, she stands alone. She saved Bhima. She bore his son. She stood by the family that killed her brother. And when the call of war came, she sacrificed her only child―Ghatotkacha, the first Pandava grandson―for a cause that never truly embraced her.
Why was her story never told? Was it because she was a rakshasi, or because the heroes of the epic could do no wrong?
This powerful reimagining gives voice to Hidimbi and her story of love and betrayal, strength and sacrifice.
Kavita Kane's brilliant writing gave the unheard Pallavi a new voice, the girl who turned out to be a neglected woman in the greatest epic. A lot of women were faced grave anguish and humiliation but Hidimbi remained unseen, unheard like she didn't deserve to be heard, but this book captured all the unprecedented pain, her emotions, her dreams, that was crushed and erased ruthlessly.
Loved reading this so much 🩷
January 15, 2026
Bhima's Wife by Kavita Kane
Hidimbi appears in the Mahabharata momentarily, her passion is fierce, she gives birth to a son of great importance, and then she vanishes. Bhima’s Wife picks up exactly where Hidimbi’s disappearance has been assumed all along. In revisting the life of Hidimbi, Kavita Kane transforms the absent into the present, filling the space where the life chosen to be forgotten would have been
Hidimbi's origins are in the forest, a place of self-determination, not banishment. But when Bhima comes to her, this love is instantaneous and physical, and yet Kane resists suggesting this is the fulfillment of destiny. Love is transfigurative here but brief. Bhima progresses into historical greatness, and Hidimbi is relegated into the past, not bearing a sense of resentment so much as one of acceptance. This act of separation becomes the pivot of the novel.
The book is most interesting in the area of erasure and inheritance. Hidimbi rules and protects her kingdom and Ghatotkacha with a candor that prepares him to meet a world that will exploit him and then discard him. Ghatotkacha's noble death is in striking contrast to the unlamented sacrifices of Hidimbi, about which Kane writes with considerable subtlety focussing on the dissonance.
The prose is restrained, reflective, and considered. Hidimbi's strength is not performative; it reveals itself through endurance and solitude and an unshakeable sense of self. She does not seek inclusion within the world of the Pandavas, nor does she romanticize her exclusion from it.
Bhima’s Wife is less a corrective to the epic than a quiet counter-narrative. It's a deeply philosophical work that seeks an answer to the question of what it means to live an authentic life without recognition, and whether a legacy has to be ratified by history. By allowing Hidimbi to be on her own terms, Kan gives breadth to a figure long flattened by omission.
Hidimbi appears in the Mahabharata momentarily, her passion is fierce, she gives birth to a son of great importance, and then she vanishes. Bhima’s Wife picks up exactly where Hidimbi’s disappearance has been assumed all along. In revisting the life of Hidimbi, Kavita Kane transforms the absent into the present, filling the space where the life chosen to be forgotten would have been
Hidimbi's origins are in the forest, a place of self-determination, not banishment. But when Bhima comes to her, this love is instantaneous and physical, and yet Kane resists suggesting this is the fulfillment of destiny. Love is transfigurative here but brief. Bhima progresses into historical greatness, and Hidimbi is relegated into the past, not bearing a sense of resentment so much as one of acceptance. This act of separation becomes the pivot of the novel.
The book is most interesting in the area of erasure and inheritance. Hidimbi rules and protects her kingdom and Ghatotkacha with a candor that prepares him to meet a world that will exploit him and then discard him. Ghatotkacha's noble death is in striking contrast to the unlamented sacrifices of Hidimbi, about which Kane writes with considerable subtlety focussing on the dissonance.
The prose is restrained, reflective, and considered. Hidimbi's strength is not performative; it reveals itself through endurance and solitude and an unshakeable sense of self. She does not seek inclusion within the world of the Pandavas, nor does she romanticize her exclusion from it.
Bhima’s Wife is less a corrective to the epic than a quiet counter-narrative. It's a deeply philosophical work that seeks an answer to the question of what it means to live an authentic life without recognition, and whether a legacy has to be ratified by history. By allowing Hidimbi to be on her own terms, Kan gives breadth to a figure long flattened by omission.
November 21, 2025
The Tale of the Forgotten Queen, Hidimbi
Kavita Kané writing is a pure magic . By reading this i remember the days of lockdown when I used to watch mahabharat , the question I ask myself who is the person who lost almost everything in the war then it reminds me ,Bhima’s Wife, she brings one of the most forgotten voices from the Mahabharata "Hidimbi" out of the shadows and into the light she always deserved. This isn’t just another mythological retelling, it’s an emotional storm that sweeps you into the life of a woman who loved deeply, lost painfully, and lived perpetually on the margins.
What struck me most about this book is the quiet strength that runs through every page. Author doesn’t glorify Hidimbi or make her a victim. She lets her breathe, flawed, fierce, vulnerable, and heartbreakingly real. You can feel Hidimbi’s loneliness in every line, her longing for belonging, and the constant battle between love and self-respect.
The emotional core of the story lies in Hidimbi’s impossible choices. She falls in love with the man who kills her brother. She chooses Bhima, knowing she will never be fully accepted by his world. And later, she must watch her own son, Ghatotkacha, fight and die for the same cause that never truly embraced them. It’s haunting, the kind of pain that seeps under your skin and stays.
Author writes with such tenderness and honesty that you can’t help but feel for Hidimbi. Her prose is elegant but never distant, her storytelling, poetic yet painfully human. Every word feels personal, like a whisper from a forgotten queen who just wants to be remembered.
By the end, you don’t just admire Hidimbi, you mourn for her, you respect her, and you wish history had been kinder to her. Bhima’s Wife isn’t just a book, it’s a reminder that even in grand epics, the most powerful stories often belong to those who were never meant to be heard.
Kavita Kané writing is a pure magic . By reading this i remember the days of lockdown when I used to watch mahabharat , the question I ask myself who is the person who lost almost everything in the war then it reminds me ,Bhima’s Wife, she brings one of the most forgotten voices from the Mahabharata "Hidimbi" out of the shadows and into the light she always deserved. This isn’t just another mythological retelling, it’s an emotional storm that sweeps you into the life of a woman who loved deeply, lost painfully, and lived perpetually on the margins.
What struck me most about this book is the quiet strength that runs through every page. Author doesn’t glorify Hidimbi or make her a victim. She lets her breathe, flawed, fierce, vulnerable, and heartbreakingly real. You can feel Hidimbi’s loneliness in every line, her longing for belonging, and the constant battle between love and self-respect.
The emotional core of the story lies in Hidimbi’s impossible choices. She falls in love with the man who kills her brother. She chooses Bhima, knowing she will never be fully accepted by his world. And later, she must watch her own son, Ghatotkacha, fight and die for the same cause that never truly embraced them. It’s haunting, the kind of pain that seeps under your skin and stays.
Author writes with such tenderness and honesty that you can’t help but feel for Hidimbi. Her prose is elegant but never distant, her storytelling, poetic yet painfully human. Every word feels personal, like a whisper from a forgotten queen who just wants to be remembered.
By the end, you don’t just admire Hidimbi, you mourn for her, you respect her, and you wish history had been kinder to her. Bhima’s Wife isn’t just a book, it’s a reminder that even in grand epics, the most powerful stories often belong to those who were never meant to be heard.
December 8, 2025
”They had all borne the bloody consequence of violence and tragedy, but watching the twin pools of soft tranquillity in Hidimbi's liquid eyes, Kunti realized that none-not she, not Gandhari nor Draupadi-could stand so dignified and elegant in her personal tragedy.”
- Kavita Kané, Bhima's Wife
Hidimb was appointed as a chieftain after his father's (Salakantak) prolonged illness. Nobody was spared by his rampage not even his sister, Hidimbi. The only person who was undeterred by his cruelty was the chief minister — Kuninda who had even served his father. Can Hidimbi escape from the claws of destiny? Will she be reduced to a Rakshasi throughout her life?
”She was utterly exhausted after the outburst of all that she had kept buried for years.”
Kané succeeds in evoking the right emotions that render the readers in a state of trance. The book is a discourse on how power and greed sow seeds of venom in a person. The writing is poignant and lyrical strongly backed by ornamental language rather than verbose dialogues. It demands your undivided attention right from the dedication. The mythical legends that were shoved inside our minds were devoid of logic in many places. ’Bhima's Wife’ by Kavita Kané restores a state of normalcy and bridges the gap between myth and practicality. We witness the evolution of Hidimbi from a meek person bearing the blows of her brother to a strong human who stood up for herself. Kané deftly peels back her layers and reveals favourable characteristics. Hidimbi's interchanges with citizens of Kamyakavana are razor sharp and piercing like an arrow aimed straight to the heart.
- Kavita Kané, Bhima's Wife
Hidimb was appointed as a chieftain after his father's (Salakantak) prolonged illness. Nobody was spared by his rampage not even his sister, Hidimbi. The only person who was undeterred by his cruelty was the chief minister — Kuninda who had even served his father. Can Hidimbi escape from the claws of destiny? Will she be reduced to a Rakshasi throughout her life?
”She was utterly exhausted after the outburst of all that she had kept buried for years.”
Kané succeeds in evoking the right emotions that render the readers in a state of trance. The book is a discourse on how power and greed sow seeds of venom in a person. The writing is poignant and lyrical strongly backed by ornamental language rather than verbose dialogues. It demands your undivided attention right from the dedication. The mythical legends that were shoved inside our minds were devoid of logic in many places. ’Bhima's Wife’ by Kavita Kané restores a state of normalcy and bridges the gap between myth and practicality. We witness the evolution of Hidimbi from a meek person bearing the blows of her brother to a strong human who stood up for herself. Kané deftly peels back her layers and reveals favourable characteristics. Hidimbi's interchanges with citizens of Kamyakavana are razor sharp and piercing like an arrow aimed straight to the heart.
January 11, 2026
This book is a powerful narration of the Epic Mahabharata through the eyes of Hidimbi, Bhima's first wife, a character forgotten in the lines of this epic. The author through her book not only gives her a voice but also highlights her not as a side character, but as a woman with deep emotions, strength, and painful choices.
Hidimbi’s life is filled with quiet sacrifices that are bluntly ignored. She falls in love with Bhima, the man who kills her brother. She chooses to stay loyal to a family that never truly accepts her. And later, she sacrifices her only son, her only reason for living, Ghatotkacha, to a war that never valued her, her sacrifice or her identity. The pain she carries is heavy ,yet she never allows it to break her spirit completely.
What makes this book special is how the author avoids turning Hidimbi into either a helpless victim or a glorified legend. Instead, she is shown as real strong, lonely, angry, loving, and vulnerable. Her longing for belonging, acceptance and respect is something many readers will relate to, even today.
The author's writing is gentle yet emotionally strong. The story flows quietly but leaves a deep impact. By the end, you don’t just admire Hidimbi you mourn her losses and question why her story was ignored for so long.
As a woman I find completely connected to her.
This book is not just a mythological retelling. It is a reminder of the many women whose stories were pushed into silence for other strong characters to thrive. Bhima’s Wife stays with you long after you finish reading. It's a must read for every being who feel negligence shouldn't cost someone's entire being.
Hidimbi’s life is filled with quiet sacrifices that are bluntly ignored. She falls in love with Bhima, the man who kills her brother. She chooses to stay loyal to a family that never truly accepts her. And later, she sacrifices her only son, her only reason for living, Ghatotkacha, to a war that never valued her, her sacrifice or her identity. The pain she carries is heavy ,yet she never allows it to break her spirit completely.
What makes this book special is how the author avoids turning Hidimbi into either a helpless victim or a glorified legend. Instead, she is shown as real strong, lonely, angry, loving, and vulnerable. Her longing for belonging, acceptance and respect is something many readers will relate to, even today.
The author's writing is gentle yet emotionally strong. The story flows quietly but leaves a deep impact. By the end, you don’t just admire Hidimbi you mourn her losses and question why her story was ignored for so long.
As a woman I find completely connected to her.
This book is not just a mythological retelling. It is a reminder of the many women whose stories were pushed into silence for other strong characters to thrive. Bhima’s Wife stays with you long after you finish reading. It's a must read for every being who feel negligence shouldn't cost someone's entire being.
December 27, 2025
I've always admired Kavita Kané for her marvellous attempts to portray the strong women without whom the Indian epics we know today would not have been the same. Draupadi is a well-read and explored lead analysed through various perspectives but it's the lesser known women like Hidimbi, who have barely been given much attention in these tales even though they've played significant roles in changing the course of events.
Bhima's Wife, is about Hidimbi, the first wife of the second Pandava Prince Bhima. She's a princess, resides in the Kamakyavan forests and is a demoness by birth while Bhima dwells in a civilized society, her background relatively primitive where their cultures and values differ greatly from them to be living together. This union brings a son into this world, she raises single handedly only to lose him to the great war.
Hidimbi's story is re-imagined as a tale of a woman who is innocent without malice, level-headed and righteous. She matures accepting her role in society and her responsibility as a daughter-in-law; towards the family that kept her away from the royal palace and the honour she deserved. She lives with grace without victimizing herself and that's the beauty of her being.
Kavita Kané reimagines a character that needed to be told, read and acknowledged and this book is an emotional and heartfelt rendering. You must read this to experience how social dynamics affect love and duty in the most unfair ways. Hidimbi's story is painful and beautiful. Her composure and strength, heal the wounds of injustice endured in her journey.
Bhima's Wife, is about Hidimbi, the first wife of the second Pandava Prince Bhima. She's a princess, resides in the Kamakyavan forests and is a demoness by birth while Bhima dwells in a civilized society, her background relatively primitive where their cultures and values differ greatly from them to be living together. This union brings a son into this world, she raises single handedly only to lose him to the great war.
Hidimbi's story is re-imagined as a tale of a woman who is innocent without malice, level-headed and righteous. She matures accepting her role in society and her responsibility as a daughter-in-law; towards the family that kept her away from the royal palace and the honour she deserved. She lives with grace without victimizing herself and that's the beauty of her being.
Kavita Kané reimagines a character that needed to be told, read and acknowledged and this book is an emotional and heartfelt rendering. You must read this to experience how social dynamics affect love and duty in the most unfair ways. Hidimbi's story is painful and beautiful. Her composure and strength, heal the wounds of injustice endured in her journey.
January 13, 2026
The Mahabharata is full of familiar stories and characters we all grew up hearing about, but every time you revisit it, you find someone new waiting in the shadows. That’s exactly what happened with me and Bhima’s Wife by Kavita Kané. I always believed Bhima had only one wife, so discovering that he married Hidimbi instantly intrigued me. I picked up the book purely out of curiosity, and that curiosity turned into admiration for a woman I barely knew existed in the epic.
Kavita Kané writes Hidimbi not as a side character or a “rakshasi” with no voice, but as a woman with desire, anger, strength, and heartbreak. The story follows her life from the forest, to her love and marriage with Bhima, to the long years of raising Ghatotkacha alone after the Pandavas leave. What touched me most was how the book shows Hidimbi facing prejudice—both as an unwanted daughter-in-law and as someone the royal family never accepted. Her journey as a single mother, queen, and woman who is constantly underestimated gives the Mahabharata a fresh and more humane perspective.
What I loved about this book is how soft yet powerful it is. Kané’s writing is simple and poetic, making Hidimbi’s pain and courage feel real without turning her into either a victim or a goddess. It also made me see characters like Kunti, Draupadi, and even Bhima in a new light—flawed, human, and shaped by duty. If you enjoy mythological fiction with a feminist touch, Bhima’s Wife is a quiet but meaningful read that finally gives Hidimbi the space she always deserved.
Kavita Kané writes Hidimbi not as a side character or a “rakshasi” with no voice, but as a woman with desire, anger, strength, and heartbreak. The story follows her life from the forest, to her love and marriage with Bhima, to the long years of raising Ghatotkacha alone after the Pandavas leave. What touched me most was how the book shows Hidimbi facing prejudice—both as an unwanted daughter-in-law and as someone the royal family never accepted. Her journey as a single mother, queen, and woman who is constantly underestimated gives the Mahabharata a fresh and more humane perspective.
What I loved about this book is how soft yet powerful it is. Kané’s writing is simple and poetic, making Hidimbi’s pain and courage feel real without turning her into either a victim or a goddess. It also made me see characters like Kunti, Draupadi, and even Bhima in a new light—flawed, human, and shaped by duty. If you enjoy mythological fiction with a feminist touch, Bhima’s Wife is a quiet but meaningful read that finally gives Hidimbi the space she always deserved.
November 24, 2025
This book tells a story we all know, but from a perspective we've never heard. We grew up with the Mahabharata tales of the Pandavas and Draupadi, but what about Bhima's first wife, Hidimbi? This book gives her a voice, and it's one that stayed with me long after I finished reading.
Hidimbi wasn't a princess; she was a rakshasi, a demoness. She saved Bhima's life, loved him, and bore him a son. Yet, the family she married into never truly accepted her. She stood by them even after they killed her own brother, and when war came, she sacrificed her only son, Ghatotkacha, for their cause.
Reading this made me feel her loneliness and her strength. Imagine giving everything for a family that never fully sees you as their own. The book doesn't paint her as a victim, but as a woman who made difficult choices with incredible courage. Her love for Bhima was real, her pain was real, and her sacrifices were immense, yet history barely remembers her.
The writing is simple but powerful. It doesn't judge the characters we know from the epic, but it asks important questions. Why was Hidimbi's story ignored? Was it because of who she was? This book doesn't just tell her story—it makes you think about all the voices that history has left out.
If you enjoy stories about strong women, or if you've ever wondered about the untold sides of our epics, you should read this. It's a moving, thoughtful book that honors a character who deserved so much more.
Hidimbi wasn't a princess; she was a rakshasi, a demoness. She saved Bhima's life, loved him, and bore him a son. Yet, the family she married into never truly accepted her. She stood by them even after they killed her own brother, and when war came, she sacrificed her only son, Ghatotkacha, for their cause.
Reading this made me feel her loneliness and her strength. Imagine giving everything for a family that never fully sees you as their own. The book doesn't paint her as a victim, but as a woman who made difficult choices with incredible courage. Her love for Bhima was real, her pain was real, and her sacrifices were immense, yet history barely remembers her.
The writing is simple but powerful. It doesn't judge the characters we know from the epic, but it asks important questions. Why was Hidimbi's story ignored? Was it because of who she was? This book doesn't just tell her story—it makes you think about all the voices that history has left out.
If you enjoy stories about strong women, or if you've ever wondered about the untold sides of our epics, you should read this. It's a moving, thoughtful book that honors a character who deserved so much more.
December 7, 2025
Bhima's Wife by Kavita Kané takes a deep dive into the complexities of an often-overlooked character from Indian mythology, Hidimbi, the wife of Bhima and the eldest daughter-in-law of the Pandavas. This novel brilliantly breathes life into Hidimbi, transforming her from a marginalized figure into a multi-faceted woman with a powerful narrative.
The author skillfully weaves a tale that reveals Hidimbi’s dual nature: she is both fierce and vulnerable, showcasing her strength while illuminating her emotional depth. She loved a man who took her brother's life to protect her, stood by a family that never accepted her, and ultimately offered her only son to a war that recognized her as insignificant. She bears the weight of her struggles, each crack in her spirit tells a story of resilience.
What sets the book apart is its raw emotional honesty. The author steers clear of portraying Hidimbi as merely a victim or a figure in need of sympathy; instead, she masterfully explores the intricate grey areas of duty, love, and destiny. The book emerges as a poignant and compelling exploration of love's transience, the enduring nature of courage, and a woman's unwavering resolve not to be defined by abandonment. This richly woven narrative promises to linger in the reader's mind long after the last page is turned, urging a reflection on the complexities of love and identity.
The author skillfully weaves a tale that reveals Hidimbi’s dual nature: she is both fierce and vulnerable, showcasing her strength while illuminating her emotional depth. She loved a man who took her brother's life to protect her, stood by a family that never accepted her, and ultimately offered her only son to a war that recognized her as insignificant. She bears the weight of her struggles, each crack in her spirit tells a story of resilience.
What sets the book apart is its raw emotional honesty. The author steers clear of portraying Hidimbi as merely a victim or a figure in need of sympathy; instead, she masterfully explores the intricate grey areas of duty, love, and destiny. The book emerges as a poignant and compelling exploration of love's transience, the enduring nature of courage, and a woman's unwavering resolve not to be defined by abandonment. This richly woven narrative promises to linger in the reader's mind long after the last page is turned, urging a reflection on the complexities of love and identity.
January 13, 2026
In Bhima’s Wife, Kavita Kane, once again, brings an unsung hero to the forefront, giving voice, depth, and dignity to a woman history barely paused to acknowledge. Through her words, Hidimbi is no longer just a footnote in the Mahabharata; she becomes a living, breathing force- fierce, tender, and unapologetically her own. Kavita shifts the spotlight away from royal courts and epic battles to the forests of Kamyaka, where Hidimbi lives, loves, leads, and sacrifices, largely unseen by history.
This is the story of a mountain girl, a rakshasi, the queen of forests of Kamyaka, sister to Mahasura Hidimb, yet also a lover, a mother, a leader, and a woman who lived entirely on her own terms. She is a woman who builds her own world while history looks elsewhere. The plot is driven by inner conflicts, emotional reckonings, and quiet acts of courage. The narrative focuses on personal choices rather than destiny alone.
https://vidhyathakkar.com/book-review...
This is the story of a mountain girl, a rakshasi, the queen of forests of Kamyaka, sister to Mahasura Hidimb, yet also a lover, a mother, a leader, and a woman who lived entirely on her own terms. She is a woman who builds her own world while history looks elsewhere. The plot is driven by inner conflicts, emotional reckonings, and quiet acts of courage. The narrative focuses on personal choices rather than destiny alone.
https://vidhyathakkar.com/book-review...
January 14, 2026
Bhima’s Wife is a powerful retelling of the Mahabharata through the eyes of Hidimbaa, a woman who is often forgotten in the epic. Kavita Kane gives voice to her emotions, strength, and sacrifices, making the story deeply moving.
The book beautifully portrays Hidimbaa not just as Bhima’s wife, but as a strong woman who chose love over comfort and dignity over recognition. Her inner struggles, loneliness, and quiet courage are written with great sensitivity. The writing is simple yet impactful, making it easy to connect with her pain and resilience.
What stood out to me was how the author highlights the unnoticed women of mythology—those who played important roles but remained in the shadows. This book makes you reflect on love, abandonment, and the cost of being righteous.
Overall, Bhima’s Wife is an emotional and thought-provoking read. It’s perfect for readers who enjoy mythological retellings with a strong female perspective.
The book beautifully portrays Hidimbaa not just as Bhima’s wife, but as a strong woman who chose love over comfort and dignity over recognition. Her inner struggles, loneliness, and quiet courage are written with great sensitivity. The writing is simple yet impactful, making it easy to connect with her pain and resilience.
What stood out to me was how the author highlights the unnoticed women of mythology—those who played important roles but remained in the shadows. This book makes you reflect on love, abandonment, and the cost of being righteous.
Overall, Bhima’s Wife is an emotional and thought-provoking read. It’s perfect for readers who enjoy mythological retellings with a strong female perspective.
December 20, 2025
A sister who gets tormented by her brother, a tyrant, both physically and mentally, all the while the subjects of her kingdom expecting her to end the tyranny. She comes across Bhima and falls head over heel for him. She still identifies the opportunity to get rid of her brother through Bhima. She succeeds and liberates her kingdom of her brother but gets trapped in the love of Bhima and the demands of his mother, Kunti. Though she wins Bhima but soon loses him over the condition Kunti puts for the marriage. She finds herself again at the receiving end and again. She meets Draupadi and finds another soul who is suffering because of men in her life. Kavita has again beautifully described the inner turmoil, hurt and anger of women about whom we have read only a line but who have played a key role in a great story. A collectors item specially for her fans.
December 22, 2025
Sometimes a book lingers with you long after you finish reading it. The book shows you the path to think and understand in new ways. Such an experience was reading this book.
Kavita Kane's writing has always mesmerized me and so I readily dived into the book as soon as I got my hands on it. Reading about Hidimbi, the forgotten wife of Pandava prince Bheem shows the cruel realities of class difference, how upper class society uses people from lower class for their benefits and discards them when they are no more fruitful. How some people will die trying to earn favor of their loved one and still not get what they deserved
The author brilliantly portrays Hidimbi as a heroic woman who fought and survived against the odds and not as a victim or a tragic heroine that the epics usually try to make her out to be. If you have read/watched mahabharat and have an idea of who Hidimbi is and how she was portrayed there then read this novel to see her in a new light.
Kavita Kane's writing has always mesmerized me and so I readily dived into the book as soon as I got my hands on it. Reading about Hidimbi, the forgotten wife of Pandava prince Bheem shows the cruel realities of class difference, how upper class society uses people from lower class for their benefits and discards them when they are no more fruitful. How some people will die trying to earn favor of their loved one and still not get what they deserved
The author brilliantly portrays Hidimbi as a heroic woman who fought and survived against the odds and not as a victim or a tragic heroine that the epics usually try to make her out to be. If you have read/watched mahabharat and have an idea of who Hidimbi is and how she was portrayed there then read this novel to see her in a new light.
December 15, 2025
smṛti-vihīnā yet śakti-sampannā - forgotten by memory, yet abundant in power.
A forgotten soul of ancient lore, carrying strength in her sorrow and power in her silence.
Love this book so much, thank you Ms Kavita Kane for all your books - this is indeed another masterpiece !
A forgotten soul of ancient lore, carrying strength in her sorrow and power in her silence.
Love this book so much, thank you Ms Kavita Kane for all your books - this is indeed another masterpiece !
January 13, 2026
BHIMA'S WIFE - KAVITA KANÉ
When we think of BHIMA'S wife our first thought goes to Draupadi but before her Bhima married Hidimbi a princess of the forest ( Rakshasi) with whom he bore a son Ghatotkach first Pandava grandon who played a pivotal role in Mahabharat.
This book is Hidimbis story a wife who was left behind, her sacrifices which were never appreciated or credited for her unwavering love for Bhima and the colossal strength to be a better person inspite of all the trauma and hardships she endured.
Author Kavita Kané has very beautifully reimagined Hidimbi and given voice to her character by subtly highlighting her life as it is and not made her a villain or martyr in this story but as a woman who has gone through a lot but still left I acknowledged.
Reading this book was like an eye opener for me in so many ways it made me think beyond of what happened or how Bhima always chose duty over love and never gave Hidimbi a proper chance- we as a society though times have changed and things are way better but still so many times a woman is not acknowledged, mistreated and not given her rightful due!!
When we think of BHIMA'S wife our first thought goes to Draupadi but before her Bhima married Hidimbi a princess of the forest ( Rakshasi) with whom he bore a son Ghatotkach first Pandava grandon who played a pivotal role in Mahabharat.
This book is Hidimbis story a wife who was left behind, her sacrifices which were never appreciated or credited for her unwavering love for Bhima and the colossal strength to be a better person inspite of all the trauma and hardships she endured.
Author Kavita Kané has very beautifully reimagined Hidimbi and given voice to her character by subtly highlighting her life as it is and not made her a villain or martyr in this story but as a woman who has gone through a lot but still left I acknowledged.
Reading this book was like an eye opener for me in so many ways it made me think beyond of what happened or how Bhima always chose duty over love and never gave Hidimbi a proper chance- we as a society though times have changed and things are way better but still so many times a woman is not acknowledged, mistreated and not given her rightful due!!
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