It challenges the traditional Indian family structure and the role of women, specifically focusing on a widow's complex reaction to a man claiming to be her reborn husband. Plot Summary
The title "Naayi Neralu" serves as a central metaphor: karma is like a dog and its shadow, two constant companions that faithfully follow the soul through every birth.
The narrative centers on an orthodox pre-independence family where a son died twenty years prior. A young boy (Kshetrapala/Vishwa) emerges claiming to be the reincarnation of that deceased son.
Unlike many of Bhyrappa’s other works that focus on human values or politics, this novel leans heavily into supernatural beliefs and parapsychological elements.
Drainage Somerset