| Beautiful narration, romantic stories and at times | | | | and how he starts fantasizing an all-together new |
| unimaginable circumstances! Short story spun out | | | | life, when the wife shows some interest in his |
| of day-to-day chores and occurrences. The | | | | everyday job of interpreter/ translator at a |
| stories are very well written yet are vague at | | | | doctor's clinic. Does his fantasy come true or does |
| most of the times they don't have a set starting | | | | it crash right in front of his eyes? |
| or a definite ending, they kind of just end | | | | Another interesting tale of this collection is "When |
| abruptly, leaving the reader in a bit of suspense | | | | Mr.Pirzada came to dine", a story set during the |
| and to derive lot of conclusions about the future. | | | | days when Bangladesh was formed after partition |
| This is another reason why these stories stay in | | | | from Pakistan. A story set far away from Indian |
| reader's mind for long. | | | | about an Indian Hindu family, who invite Mr.Pirzada |
| The novel begins with "Temporary Matter", a | | | | home to dine with them and the elders get so |
| story of a young Indian couple who drifts apart | | | | close that they all not just share meals but pray |
| and hates to be in each other's presence after | | | | for the welfare of Mr.Pirzada's family and young |
| they lose their first child. Due to some | | | | daughters in the war trodden Bangladesh until one |
| maintenance job in their residential area, the | | | | day, the war comes to an end and Mr.Pirzada |
| electricity is cut for an hour in the evenings. First | | | | manages to go back home. Very beautifully |
| evening the wife begins the game of telling the | | | | narrated story this is! |
| partner something that they feel, or have done | | | | Then there was an interesting story "This Blessed |
| which they have never shared before. This goes | | | | House", in which a newly married couple move |
| on for a couple of days and both of them are | | | | into a house only to find out that the house is |
| able to tell each other things that they had never | | | | special and a blessed one. How do they come to |
| shared before only to share the most painful and | | | | realize this? You need to read the book to find |
| cruel of all secrets on the last day of this | | | | out... |
| temporary arrangement of power cuts. | | | | All an all an amazing collection, wonderful narration |
| This short story follows by "interpreter of | | | | and very simplistic language which puts a reader |
| Maladies" where an Indian guide takes an NRI | | | | at ease. Definitely worth a read! |
| family to see the Konark (Sun) Temple near Puri | | | | |