Jhar Uthechilo by Hari Pada Chakrabarty [Hardcover]

"The backdrop of this novel, written in 1943 by a freedom fighter while imprisoned in Rajshahi jail, is the uncertain and tumultuous era of both India and the world. At the time, World War II was underway, while in India, the 'Quit India' movement had begun, and Netaji Subhas was calling on his Azad Hind Fauj—‘Delhi Chalo.’

On a dim evening during the war, amidst a raging storm, an unknown young man and woman unknowingly sought temporary shelter in an empty house on the outskirts of Kolkata to escape the weather. They were spotted by a Civil Guard team and taken to the police station, where their marriage was unexpectedly solemnized. Later, to avoid a marriage arranged by her parents, Tapati went to the workplace of her unexpected husband, whom she had married in the police station.

By then, freedom fighter Sambaran had been imprisoned. Through letters—Tapati’s from a Sundarbans service center, and Sambaran’s from jail—they gradually came to know, understand, and realize each other. Each letter, in its own way, read like an essay. Through the structure of the novel, the ideals, beliefs, and dreams of a young freedom fighter for an independent India resonate in every line, reflecting its immense historical significance."