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From a master of contemporary Indian fiction, an expertly crafted and taut family drama, set over the course of four days.

‘Extraordinary.’ Geetanjali Shree
‘A writer of rare and wonderful gifts.’ Garth Greenwell
‘One of those writers whose voice takes your breath away.’ Yiyun Li

A knock on the door shouldn’t be a cause for alarm. But when Venkat finds two insolent young men on his doorstep, he knows something is off. They say they need to get in touch with his daughter Rekha, but why is it so urgent? Could she really be a pawn in gang warfare? And more importantly, where is she?

The story should begin a few days earlier, when Rekha left for Venkat’s home village. But maybe Venkat needs to look a little further back: at the early days of his marriage to her mother Viji? Or his parents’ marriage? Or does the truth lie even further still?

‘Tense, taut and compulsively readable.’ Deepa Anappara
‘Vivek Shanbhag is probably the best writer writing in any language anywhere.’ Mohammed Hanif

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