Rat Bhore Bristi by Buddhadeb Bosu [Hardcover]

This timeless novel, once condemned by a lower court for obscenity and ordered to be destroyed, was marked as harmful to society in Kolkata in 1970. The story revolves around Malati, an attractive Bengali woman from a middle-class family, who marries Nayanangshu. After about ten years of marriage, Malati realizes she is no longer satisfied with Nayanangshu as a husband or lover. When Nayanangshu tries to get close to her, she feels indifferent. Nayanangshu, a gentle man often mocked as bourgeois, fails to connect with Malati on a deeper level.

Malati finds comfort in Jayanta, whose reckless nature she admires. Jayanta stirs a part of her that Nayanangshu could never reach, awakening her youth and femininity. This realization shatters her twelve-year marriage. Although Nayanangshu knew of Malati's feelings for Jayanta before she did, his pride prevents him from reaching out to her. Eventually, Nayanangshu decides that survival is the most important thing.

Buddhadeb Bosu's depiction of the post-World War II urban society is strikingly realistic. The psychological depth of the characters, the poetic beauty of the language, and the skilled narrative style make "Raat Bhore Brishti" a remarkable and bold novel, celebrated for its clarity, impact, and courage.