Description Of Socio-fiction 

A debut collection of stories from a Nepali-American writer, Ranjan Adiga, caught my attention. The book is so diverse in its setting, and its characters are of different social backgrounds. From a boy called Ram from Janakpur to a barber named Iqbal, these characters reveal a lot. These characters are set in Kathmandu. A housemaid is also a character in one of the stories in the book. There are ten stories in total. Human relationships (their absence and presence) are shown in a deeply conversational tone in the book. There is a story about a Nepali man in America who is divorced from his American wife—his life and divorce are discussed with his dad’s visit to America, and cultural differences are also taken into account between Nepal and America. This is the human relationship of absence that is recalled over alcoholic bonding between father and son, set in America.

 I enjoyed the vulnerability of the characters and the open-ended ending of some of the stories in the book. Some Nepali characters struggle for American visas, and some confront sexuality and even homosexuality. There is a mention of third world countries and Himalayan literature. A professor is mistaken for his physical attraction to a student, and how nail-biting the consequences are could be guessed from the story in the book. These are our anxieties borne out of getting attracted to the opposite sex in our profession or at work. A sort of Kafkaesque fiction is in portrayal in this book—the characters go through conflict a lot, and readers are left in awe with how the characters would be able to heal themselves. The curiosity leaves the readers awake.

 There is a young housemaid being beaten, a daughter being mistaken for her chastity just because she brings over someone who helps her write a play to her home. Modern and ancient family values are also in conflict in the book.

Asian and American cultures also clash in these stories. Not so rich and not so intellectual, the characters end up confronting each other a lot. The American visa is considered a success, and how parents force their children to accept the American dream and leave Nepal is also shown. Families socialize over the news of American visa approval and consider it a grand success.

The plot of each story is so meaningful, and it has visual effects. A sudden revelation, like when the barber Iqbal massages Krishna, is thrilling. The barber massages Krishna and takes his hands to the erotic zone, and Krishna’s sexuality is confronted. Krishna’s wife plays a silent part and can be considered a victim too, but Krishna opens up his confrontation with Iqbal later and argues against him, and we are left with an open-ended story. The resolution of the story is open to readers for interpretation. 

This shows that more effect is on the connotative side of understanding the stories. However, there is an end resolution in the story titled “A Haircut and Massage” because Krishna leaves with his wife, and her touch reminds him of their own sexual nearness as husband and wife.

When Ram steals money from his wealthy friend Juneli in the title story “Leech,” readers are reminded of compulsion on Ram’s part, who struggles financially. 

The characters reveal a lot. They are sketched carefully with a lot of bearing on the social aspects. Psychological trauma they go through is also portrayed with equal ease, building on the carefully crafted plot of each story. One thing that I liked about the story “Leech” is its relation of effects on both the characters despite one being wealthy and another poor. 

Religion is also one of the classic themes of this book. Christianity and caste are linked in our context, and it has been shown that lower castes of Hinduism do not matter in Christianity, and there is no discrimination if one were to turn into being a Christian. I like this perception of the writer. 

Sexuality and sin are also two of the main themes in the story titled “High Heels.” Confronting sexuality at work is another theme of this story.

The stories have bold assertions, and this leaves new readers glued to the book. A diverse range of characters still make up Nepal in its socio-fictional attire. The writer has given enough time and space for each character to develop. The stories are of fine length, and they do not bore. There is so much of a new voice in Nepali literature with this book. 

A slight hint of minority and homosexuality, both are at work in this book’s inner dynamics, although in different contexts.

This book, however, is a politically correct work of fiction representing Nepal on the international stage. The writer has a living experience in America, but the lens with which he sees Nepal has not missed a mark. The writer’s living experiences in America have helped a lot to fictionalize the needful characters that make up Nepal in this collection. Nevertheless, the characters speak for themselves, and the author also speaks with these characters. The narrative does not impose the ideology of the writer, but he makes his characters so receiving and revealing. They bear the testimony of their existence, and we empathize with them in the end.

The book has morality at its core. In the title story “Leech,” Ram steals from Juneli’s purse, and that is not accepted by Juneli, and she considers it a betrayal—even if they are close friends. 

Although Ram’s financial situation is not good, and we empathize with him—stealing is not the right choice for him. This imparts a lesson that even if our aims and aspirations are correct, our means to get it can still be wrong if we cross the line. Improper decisions really affect our lives.

(The author is a lecturer of English.)