Gostokhor by Upamanyu Chatterjee [Hardcover]

"As soon as he stepped outside, he was utterly stunned. It wasn’t night; it was as if he had stepped into the sun itself. Dalvi's house was burning. The whole single-story building was engulfed in roaring flames, terrifying sounds of crackling and popping as the fire leapt up to fifteen feet. The intense heat seemed to push Basanta away. He stood there for a few moments, staring in shock…

One night in September 1949. Nadim Dalvi's house in Batiya city was reduced to ashes. Dalvi, five members of his family, and their pet dog perished. Madhusudan Sen, an ICS officer, regularly received meat, fish, and eggs from Dalvi. When it was discovered that this fire was no accident, but a murder of Dalvi and his family, Madhusudan Sen stopped eating meat until justice was served...

This multi-layered narrative ultimately chronicles various political backdrops in different parts of India. A simple well bucket, edible cow meat, government files, and the death penalty are all caught in the suffocating noose of political games."