Sriman is a young man living in insurgency-hit Assam whose life turns upside down when he happens to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. The raw terror which fills Sriman after witnessing the incident leaves him paranoid. Existing as a terrified zombie, unable to share his secret with anyone, Sriman drifts through the murky world of journalism into the world of the dadas—the erstwhile underground leaders who surrendered to the state and then started working for it. And it is at such a time that he again faces a terrifying encounter that unhinges him.
In the Himalayas, Sriman learns to look at the world and himself in a new way, discovers the teachings of Tathagata Buddha and gains an insight into the tragedy of the Tibetan refugees and their improbable dream of restoration of their homeland someday. And it is here that he also discovers love in all its splendour and sorrow, with its promise of redemption of his sheltered and fragmented life.
Amidst the decay that has set in the society and the ruins of his personal life, Sriman’s search for new meaning and hope in this life becomes a universal quest that tugs at one’s heartstrings.
About the Author: Dhrubajyoti Borah is one of the most original and daring voices in contemporary Assamese literature. Writing in Assamese and English, Borah has published more than twenty-five novels and novellas. His enquiry into the trouble-torn tragic reality of present-day Assam raked by insurgency and counter-insurgency reflected in his Kalantar trilogy is hailed as a major literary creation of the present times. He has translated his Assamese novel Kalantarar Gadya into Elegy for the East (2020; Niyogi Books).
Borah’s major non-fiction works include a widely acclaimed monograph on the Moamoria revolt of medieval Assam. His works have been translated into English, Bengali, Hindi, Bodo, Nepali and Malayalam. He received the Sahitya Akademi award in 2009.
