Khelnapati by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay [Hardcover]

In Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay's novel Khelna Pati, love and relationships are explored with both depth and humor. The protagonist, Govinda, finds it hard to believe that someone as beautiful as Anchal is his wife. He is perplexed by why she hasn’t left him after a year of marriage, as he feels a sense of inadequacy and guilt. Govinda’s bold friend, Kaushik, believes that intelligent women prefer safe, meek men, like Govinda. Kaushik also suspects that his own wife, Sakhi, has a soft spot for Govinda.

The novel blends multiple storylines, each portraying different facets of life and love. The tale of Ramshankar raises the question of whether his estranged wife, Paula, will return to his solitary life. Aarti dreams of enrolling her son in a good school, while Kaushik’s experiments with time travel through his mobile phone seem like exaggerated fantasies, reminiscent of Ghanada-style tall tales.

The novel weaves together the stories of various characters, reflecting on their emotional connections, dreams, and the complexities of their lives, while maintaining a playful and witty narrative tone.