‘बाड़े के सात घर’ by Dr. Sakshi Nigam Argal
Do we all not live within some kind of baada—a fence? Not always made of bricks and cement, but often of traditions, beliefs, social rules, and unspoken expectations. These are invisible boundaries that quietly shape our lives. They separate us from others and, at times, from ourselves.
Baade Ke Saat Ghar by Dr. Sakshi Nigam Argal is a poignant collection of Hindi stories set in an old baada in Jabalpur. Within this enclosed space stand seven houses, each sheltering a distinct life, a different struggle, and a unique emotional world. Though the stories are not directly connected, they are bound by the same air of the courtyard—the shared human experience of love, sacrifice, pride, regret, ambition, and self-discovery.
Each house opens a new door into human nature. In one, echoes of selfless sacrifice linger; in another, the noise of ambition and deceit fills the rooms. Every threshold reveals a separate universe. Every story presents a different conflict, and within every conflict lies a quiet lesson. Together, these narratives form a mosaic of ordinary lives carrying extraordinary depths.
The author reminds us that places are never merely physical structures. Homes and streets preserve layers of time, where childhood laughter, youthful dreams, and the silence of old age, all remain embedded in their walls. Time moves forward, yet memories never truly fade—they only gather dust. The baada in this book stands as a silent witness to generations of change, holding within it both the joy of beginnings and the stillness of endings.
Though the author may no longer live within those geographical boundaries, the courtyard continues to live within her. Through these stories, she transforms personal memory into universal truth. Her writing gives voice to “ordinary lives” that appear calm on the surface but carry profound emotional struggles beneath.
This book is more than a collection of stories. As readers step through the doors of these seven houses, they are invited not only to meet the characters but also to recognize their own invisible fences.
Perhaps, while reading, one may stumble upon a forgotten memory. Perhaps, one may realize that every fence carries within it the possibility of freedom.