Sattam Dasgupta

Parting of the Strangers and Other Stories Sattam Dasgupta

As an engineer sits across from his wife, Akansha, at an elegant restaurant, he waits for their guest -her co-worker, Sinjan. The engineer, whose favorite pastime is to observe and analyze the world around him, has no idea that his entire life is about to be thrown into turmoil. In a collection of sixteen short stories primarily set against the backdrop of urban India, a diverse group of characters each face the impact of unique circumstances on their lives, thoughts, and actions. It has been almost a year since a commuter first saw a bright-red car caught behind a truck in heavy traffic and waved the driver ahead of him. Now the two drivers frequently see each other on the road, and it is a ritual he eagerly looks forward to every evening. But does she? When the paths of two men -one an attendant and the other a businessman -cross in a Bangalore restaurant, Venkat and Rahul are each propelled back into the past in unique ways. Parting of the Strangers and Other Stories is a collection of short tales about people, their realizations, and the games their minds play that invite all of us to discover the hidden angels and demons within.