This article studies that long silence by Shahi Deshpande as a novel of self-exploration predominantly by Jaya the female protagonist and other women associated to her within familial environment and traditional society. It aims at depicting how women struggle for existence when caught between the demands of tradition and modernity. Introspection in Jaya’s life takes place within her personal space and amid this silence she becomes aware of the differences between her true self and the imposed traditional roles as wife, mother and writer. The paper unravels how this juncture of self-realization empowers her to challenge stereotypes and move towards attaining fulfillment in being herself.