Stories that speak of 'Love and Betrayal'

Set in Kolkata and Delhi, the stories in 'The Love Song of Maya K and other stories' deal with love and betrayal, dogma and superstition, sexuality and thwarted desires. The characters belong to the world of urban, aspirational India where snobbery and rat race go hand in hand with class and religious conflicts. Dark or funny, satirical or poignant, these stories are as much a snapshot of modern India as they are an intense crystallisation of the unpredictable chaos of life.

This book written by Shuma Rahathis, will be launched on June 7 in the presence of Mrinal Pande(Writer, Former Chairperson of Prasar Bharati, Senior Group Editorial Advisor to the National Herald Group), Anita Agnihotri(Writer and Former Civil Servant) & Poonam Saxena (Writer, Translator and National Weekend Editor, Hindustan Times). The book has been published by Niyogi Books.

The thirteen stories are written in lucid language and the razor sharp crispness of words lingers on in the mind. However the author exercises restraint even while dealing with somewhat communal topics. The opening story is gripping like the rest and successfully captures the attention span of the reader. Like a true and good short story, all the thirteen hold an element of surprise, the unexpected and an air of subtle suspense.

Shuma Raha, the author, has been the winner of the Juggernaut Short Story Prize, 2017. A former journalist with newspapers such as The Telegraph and The Times of India, this book is her debut collection of short stories. While charting a career in writing fiction, she continues to be excited by current affairs and contributes columns to a number of print and digital publications.