Revisiting Border and Defying Boundaries: Unravelling Echoes of the Partitioned Woman in Geetanjali Shree’s Tomb of Sand

This paper explores the multifaceted concept of the border, which is geographical, social and psychological, through the perspective of the partitioned woman in Geetanjali Shree’s Tomb of Sand. It aims to explore how borders serve as repositories of memory and examine diverse perspectives on the history of partition, critically analysing the impact on women and the courage and compassion they exhibited in overcoming these challenges. Furthermore, it investigates the significance of the concept of 'border' through protagonist Ma’s experiences and understanding during the partition and in contemporary times. Using insights from border studies and feminist postcolonial theory, the researcher examines how the 1947 Partition continues to shape identity, memory, and femininity. Through Ma’s journey across literal and metaphorical borders, Tomb of Sand reimagines the border not merely as a site of division and violence but as a space of reclamation, connection, and healing. This study analyses how Shree employs non-linear memory, symbolic spatiality, and intertextual references to Partition narratives to illuminate Ma’s suppressed experiences and the courage required to confront them. This paper also argues that Shree’s novel offers a transformative framework for understanding the resilience of the partitioned woman, revealing how borders can be crossed, defied, and utilised as a locus of healing. Through this lens, the article contributes to broader discourses on trauma, gendered history, and the enduring human quest to transcend imposed boundaries in both historical and contemporary contexts.