THE PUKKA SAHIB AND OTHER STORIES By J.P. Das, HarperCollins, Rs 195 In India, the popularity of short stories is increasing with time. With life becoming both routine-like and hectic for most, readers are looking more and more towards a literary form that they can enjoy over short single sessions of reading. And this trend is possibly going to be augmented with time. But one wonders if the short story will supersede the novel in popularity or if the two will coexist at an age characterized by technological advancement, which seems to have an uncanny knack at striking at the very roots of the written word. Meanwhile, of late, regional works coming up in English translations are not only providing good reading material, but also demonstrating that regional literature has come of age in India. One such translation, The Pukka Sahib and Other Stories, by the popular Oriya writer, J.P. Das, gives us some idea of contemporary Oriya literature. Das is a poet, playwright, fiction writer, art historian and critic. But, as the preface clarifies, he is more of a short story writer than anything else. That he is prolific in this area is indicated by the fact that three of his collections have already been published in English translation. There are twelve stories in this one, none of which is unnecessarily long or short. The translator, Bikram K. Das, has written a preface in which, apart from informing us about his choice of stories, he gives us an insight into the writer's life and a brief assessment of the stories. His translation has a distinctive flow of language, which sometimes makes us forget how tedious translated works can sometimes get. The world of J. P. Das's stories is peopled with simple, straightforward characters. They are neither too ambitious, nor do they set for themselves goals which cannot be achieved. They are ordinary, real-world people. Jayaram's highest ambition in the story, 'The Ashram', is to start a factory. But, when the endeavour gets tied up in too much red-tape, Jayaram escapes to a baba's ashram and makes himself content with starting a bakery. Bhaskar, in 'Swati will come', when faced with the possibility of the meeting the lady (Swati), decides to stay away from this encounter and chooses not to see her at all. Raghupati, in 'Empire', is a district magistrate who is held in fear and awe by the entire office but when he is slighted by his own peon, he gives up on his arrogance because he knows that this man can cure his ailing daughter. Das draws from his experience of being a civil servant and creates some of his characters in a world where files, hierarchy and decorum become important components of daily life. In at least three of the stories, the urban middle-class character is shown to be a person who has retired from active service. But, this superannuated man quickly learns how to adjust to the changes. Irony is inserted into the texture of the stories themselves. The depiction of the world of the middle-aged or retiring individuals have some wonderful moments of light-heartedness. Arguably, the title story is the best of the lot. But strangely enough, wit and humour seem to be lacking in Das's stories. He consciously plans surprise endings but this becomes a bit obvious, thus taking away from their beauty. But undoubtedly, the most impressive thing about J.P. Das's work is the manner in which he uses irony.