UNVEILING THE FEMALE PSYCHE: PSYCHOLOGICAL REALISM AND FEMINIST NARRATIVES IN PREETI SHENOY'S THE ONE YOU CANNOT HAVE

Preeti Shenoy’s The One You Cannot Have (2013) intricately portrays the psychological landscapes of its female protagonists, Shruti and Anjali, as they navigate love, heartbreak, and societal expectations in contemporary urban India. This paper examines the delineation of the female psyche through psychological realism, focusing on themes of emotional resilience, identity conflict, and resistance to patriarchal structures. By analyzing the characters’ internal struggles and responses to romantic and social pressures, the study hypothesizes that Shenoy presents women as agents of self-discovery who challenge traditional gender roles while confronting the constraints of modern relationships. Using qualitative textual analysis grounded in feminist literary theory, this paper explores how Shenoy’s narrative strategies illuminate the psychological depth of her female characters, contributing to contemporary discourses on women’s identities in Indian literature.