his bouquet of short stories presents a true-to-life picture of the society before us. Instead of an imagined world, the storyteller through these stories offers a slice of life, a down-to-earth scenario in which the reader finds himself involved unknowingly. The writer having a good understanding of basic human feelings brings them out dexterously in these tales on divergent issues. These fine, tumultuous, powerful and heartfelt sagas are not just stories, these are experiences. Reading them, the reader does not remain solely an observer, he becomes a part of them. The stories open a world of fallacy, malice and maladjustment and take him directly to it. This is the world that is already known to him, but he very often chooses to close his eyes to it. Brimming with unlikely and colourful characters, the tales offer a fine blend of irony and humanity, with some of them replete with heart-warming humour.