I first came across this author after reading her novel “A Quiet Dissonance“, and when I signed up for her newsletter I was directed to review other books she had written. I chose several short-story collections, this being the third one (I also reviewed “Parvathy’s Well & Other Stories” and “Holi Moly! & Other Stories“), because I was in the mood for something distinctly different from what I had read from her before, but still with the enticing flavour of the cultural Indian backdrop.

 

The Premise

Damage

The collection opens with a dark tale of an illicit love triangle that deeply affects a child with special needs, showing that actions can have “collateral damage” consequences no one expects.

Samsara

A female detective defies expectations of her sex in the society, when she investigates a brutal murder of the wife of a Minister, a beloved woman in the community who had dark secrets.

Creep

A brief look at the machinations of the mind of a lecherous man as he approaches women with nefarious intentions.

Ma Vie Sans Couleur

An artist experiences life through colour, each colour representing a moment in her life that she cannot escape, as her memories overcome her and bleed from the past into the present.

Secrets and Lies

A child, sidelined for being different, experiences the death of a grandfather who took him in after his parents’ death, despite having had a volatile relationship with his daughter, his mother. Through the boy, he tries to right his sins by providing for him.

The Consequence of Contradiction

A woman in a loveless marriage engages in many affairs, until it comes to pass that one of her lovers is matched to her own daughter. Caught in a difficult situation, she has to decide if to protect her daughter or her own reputation. 

Love Jihad

Two love stories, both taking place in 2017, unfold in parallel. In India, a Hindu/Muslim couple risks everything for their forbidden love. Meanwhile, another Hindu/Muslim couple’s relationship in London is permitted by their families, but also comes to a dark end. 

The Unlikely Casanova

A brief look into the mind of a man who contemplates his emotionless approach to relationships he does not care for. 

Swami Claus

A young woman’s loss of innocence as a child converts her from the abused to the abuser, due to meet her own untimely end.

Ugly

An arranged marriage of a handsome man to an “ugly” woman unfolds throughout decades as she sacrifices herself for her children to have a better life, and they despise their father for how he treats their mother.

Palindrome

An aging star loses her zeal for life as her daughter surpasses her in allure, and she reflects on her own upbringing once she learnt how her own mother sacrificed herself to survive.

Dear Anil

A letter recalls a lifetime of missed opportunities for a friendship to blossom into love. 

Unrequited

After being rejected, a woman enacts her revenge on the object of her affection.

The Strings That Bind Us

Two young girls are curious to find out the origins of a kind old woman staying with one of their families, who is not related to the family. 

Fallen

A fall from grace is told from the point of view of the Ravana, the demon king in Indian mythology.

Like A Boss

Under the influence of alcohol and peer pressure, a group of young men commit a ghastly crime.

The Pros

I had enjoyed the author’s previous collection with some dark tales, “Parvathy’s Well & Other Stories“, but this one goes even deeper down that rabbit hole of darkness.

Told from the viewpoints of many characters in Indian society, these entirely separate stories weave a collection of tales that explore the damage some of us live with, caused by love, loss, lust, abuse, and our own evildoings. The writing style changes from story to story, but with each it is captivating and takes you on a journey to Indian culture and society.

Of the sixteen stories, my favourites were “Samsara” and “Love Jihad”. I loved how “Samsara” vividly brought to light a sinful corner of the perversions hidden in society, and also gave us the double thrill of the detective’s experience as well — it felt like this could have been an entire novel on its own, from the richness of how the tale interweaves. “Love Jihad” also had that intriguing element of duality, and the concept of karma coming full circle was splendidly delivered in “Swami Claus”, “The Consequence of Contradiction”, and “Unrequited”.

There were many others that also delighted me with their darkness, and the collection strings together these wicked fissures of society expertly, with a sprinkle of language and culture to enthrall the senses.

The Cons

While I loved many of the stories, there were a few that I had to re-read and still am not sure I fully understood, which affected my overall experience.

My least favourites of the collection were “Ma Vie Sans Couleur” because it was challenging to understand at first, and “Fallen” — though the story itself was good, it felt too brief and without enough action. I also did not care much for “Casanova” and “Creep” which had similar themes and were also very short, and though I really liked “Unrequited” I did wish we got a chance to understand the rejection that had taken place.

Conclusion

Overall, the collection was expertly assembled with a thread of dark drama to tie it all together, and still had a bit of humour sprinkled throughout as we see beneath the shiny glimmer of appearances to the happenings behind closed doors.

Again, the collection as a whole provided a brilliant tapestry of Indian culture, and while there were a few stories I could have done without, overall this was a great collection with many tales that will remain with me for quite some time. The author is very talented in her writing, and having read four books by her now, I am quite a fan!

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