Shubha Sarma’s collection of short stories is an enthralling mix of emotions, situations and cultures, says IKNOOR KAUR
Fly on the Wall and Other Stories
Author: Shubha Sarma
Publisher: liFi, Rs 240
Though the author describes her book as an anthology of short stories, we would call it snippets of modern-day India. While some stories are small, there are stories that go over 5,000 words. However, the book never disappoints you. You can hop from one story to another rather seamlessly and not feel disoriented. All the stories are rich in plot and language. Each also ends with twists and turns. The suspense in the stories is what keeps you hooked.
The first story, ‘Fly on the Wall’, is a riveting tale of a man who is a sadist, a cunning plotter and an unscrupulous womaniser. It begins with the man’s suicide and goes onto his condolence ceremony wherein a woman, who is later revealed to be his wife, narrates snippets of his life. The unravelling of the plot makes you feel angry and sympathetic for the man.
Another story, ‘The Tabla’s Refrain’, shares a chronicle of a boy who wanted to buy a tabla against his father’s wishes and ended up sitting with his younger brother on the street with a basket of vegetables. The heart-warming tale ends with the father realising his fault. The last story of the book, ‘The Demons Within’, is about a girl doing major in Psychology and how she discovers the secret of a haunted flat in her building.
Being an IAS officer, Sarma has put together three stories of young civil servants in their district postings. In the ninth story of the book, ‘Human(s) Matter’, she describes the relationship of a boy with his grandfather. The grandfather narrates a story to his 13-year-old grandson about a man named Dinesh Kumar and his assistant Durga Prasad. The story gives you an insight into human nature laced with humility, corruption and greed.
The protagonists of each story are equally assorted with shades of black, white and grey. The author takes you through different geographic landscapes and rugged human characteristics effortlessly. Hence, there is something or the other relevant for each age group in this collection.
The cover of the book, with drops of blood and a fly crushed on the wall with a grey, dull background, might convey that the content is dark. However, all the stories give you an insight into human life. While there are plots that move seamless from between love, hate and war, there are also colourful stories that will leave a smile on your face.
Are you looking for an inspirationIJ Are you on a look out for your Mr RightIJ Or, is your life full of dilemmas you are struggling to overcomeIJ If your answer is ‘yes’, then Shubha Sarma’s recent collection of short stories, Fly on the Wall and Other Stories, is for you. It has 13 narratives that inspire and educate you. Be it a simple story of love at the first sight or a recollection of social service, the stories are all about one message — brotherhood.
Though the author describes her book as an anthology of short stories, we would call it snippets of modern-day India. While some stories are small, there are stories that go over 5,000 words. However, the book never disappoints you. You can hop from one story to another rather seamlessly and not feel disoriented. All the stories are rich in plot and language. Each also ends with twists and turns. The suspense in the stories is what keeps you hooked.
The first story, ‘Fly on the Wall’, is a riveting tale of a man who is a sadist, a cunning plotter and an unscrupulous womaniser. It begins with the man’s suicide and goes onto his condolence ceremony wherein a woman, who is later revealed to be his wife, narrates snippets of his life. The unravelling of the plot makes you feel angry and sympathetic for the man.
Another story, ‘The Tabla’s Refrain’, shares a chronicle of a boy who wanted to buy a tabla against his father’s wishes and ended up sitting with his younger brother on the street with a basket of vegetables. The heart-warming tale ends with the father realising his fault. The last story of the book, ‘The Demons Within’, is about a girl doing major in Psychology and how she discovers the secret of a haunted flat in her building.
Being an IAS officer, Sarma has put together three stories of young civil servants in their district postings. In the ninth story of the book, ‘Human(s) Matter’, she describes the relationship of a boy with his grandfather. The grandfather narrates a story to his 13-year-old grandson about a man named Dinesh Kumar and his assistant Durga Prasad. The story gives you an insight into human nature laced with humility, corruption and greed.
The protagonists of each story are equally assorted with shades of black, white and grey. The author takes you through different geographic landscapes and rugged human characteristics effortlessly. Hence, there is something or the other relevant for each age group in this collection.
The cover of the book, with drops of blood and a fly crushed on the wall with a grey, dull background, might convey that the content is dark. However, all the stories give you an insight into human life. While there are plots that move seamless from between love, hate and war, there are also colourful stories that will leave a smile on your face.