Bitter and sweet memories

♦ 35 AND SEXLESS IN AHMEDABAD (HarperCollins, Rs 325) by Robin David is about a struggling photographer called Anant, who avers, "I am not a photographer. I am a soul-hunter with a camera". Anant is grappling with a recurring nightmare involving a three-legged dog. The dog appears chained to Anant's ankle, and even his best efforts fail to set Anant free from the mongrel. Afraid to fall asleep, lest the dog returns and he starts losing his sanity, Anant tries to reach into the innermost crevices of his subconscious to seek a plausible explanation for the sudden appearance of the dog in his dreams. He has gone without sex for years and perhaps his "unfulfilled desires" are now dogging him beyond his waking hours. His quest for an answer introduces him to a few monsters in his head. Anant's reflections also force the readers to ponder a question or two: has the age of instant gratification, which birthed social networking and digital photography, made us impatient? Are we more intent on having casual flings than on building a serious relationship? Such questions would intrigue readers. But, like Anant, they must find out the answers for themselves.

♦ THE WATER SPIRIT AND OTHER STORIES (Harper Perennial, Rs 299) by Imran Hussain takes the reader on a trip to Assam - the land of "blue hills and red river". This collection comprising eight short stories deftly captures the social tensions prevailing in Assam. In "Jigangsha: The Slaughter", we find an elderly village couple rejoicing upon the return of their only son, who has been away from home for months. Sonti, the son, has taken admission in a university in the town after having fared brilliantly in his school-leaving examination. But little does his parents realize that Sonti has come back a changed man. "Grash: Encroach" dwells on the relationship between an old tree and a polio-stricken girl. With the use of magic realism, Hussain has tried to underscore the perils of globalization, especially, the adverse impact it can have on inter-personal relationships. The translator, Mitali Goswami, must be commended for enabling these stories to gain a wider readership.

♦ INDIAN INNOVATORS: 20 BRILLIANT THINKERS WHO ARE CHANGING INDIA (Jaico, Rs 299) by Akshat Agrawal would leave a lasting impact on readers. The stories of the men and women collected in this book have the power to enthuse all age-groups. Agrawal lucidly documents the trials and tribulations these gifted individuals had to face before they could savour success. For instance, Arunachalam Muruganantham had to put up with a lot of ridicule from society - even his mother and wife left him - but that did not deter him from inventing a low-cost sanitary pad making machine. The innovation, since it was first experimented with, has proved to be helpful for millions of poor women not only in India but in other developing countries as well.

♦ BALUTA (Speaking Tiger, Rs 350) by Daya Pawar is described as "one of the first Dalit autobiographies" in Marathi. More than three decades after it was first published, Baluta has finally been translated into English by Jerry Pinto. But this long interlude has in no way diminished its importance. Those interested in Dalit literature must read Pinto's translation. But, then again, why should the book be treated just as a piece of Dalit writing? Baluta is also an account of migration into cities and of how that transforms traditional hierarchies - social, economic as well as of gender. Pawar talks about sex unabashedly. His autobiography is no prudish account. Not many authors in India are known to speak freely and frankly when writing about their own lives.