Ujan by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay [Hardcover]

The Brahmaputra, by whose banks I was born, has tethered my childhood to its shores even now. The layers of yellow silt it deposits still envelop my early years. As I write about this river in my novel "Ujan," I often find my external consciousness slipping away.

These reflections come from the author himself as he looks back on his literary journey. The childhood formed in the presence of my grandfather, father, mother, and younger siblings is something anyone would wish to return to. However, as life flows downstream with the ebbing tide, far into adulthood, one cannot revisit that dreamlike childhood. With all the regrets woven into it, there remains a persistent sorrow—a thorn of sadness that one must live with, even as they continue to drift with the current.

In modern storytelling, Shirishendu Mukhopadhyay is not just a name but an indomitable personality. While most writings float along the conventional current, each of his works rises resolutely upstream, delving into the depths of human relationships, envisioning a more beautiful world, and highlighting the highest values of life. "Ujan" is not just a story of a man returning to his childhood; it is a remarkable testament to reaching the fundamental truths of human existence.