Arresting God in Kathmandu by Samrat Upadyay

“Arresting God in Kathmandu” is a book so written as to make the reader crave to complete it in a sitting. His mastery over language, expression, and simple ideas is impressive. Well paced, organized and clear narration enables visualizing the process of stories. Short stories in the book do not at all feel like short stories: on completion, it gives one a satisfaction of having read many novels at a go. Seasoned with philosophy, every sentence seems impregnated with knowledge. The most outstanding feature of the book is the magical blend of plots that have sharp contrast. His display of events in sudden twists despite the presence of seemingly perfect start, like the strong belief in one’s dream, brings out the truth of the world: the truth of uncertainty, need for its acceptance and the power therein. Personally, it felt like a document attesting these universal truths as stated by our Dharma and Bhutanese’ popular beliefs. Thus, reading Kathmandu was revisiting my homeland.

The good shopkeeper: It’s a story set in the Kathmandu valley. Advent of computers has caused Pramod to lose his jobs. It brings the sore reality of finding jobs where nepotism works. With responsibility to sustain his family but without status and source of income, he suffers public defamation and declination of self-esteem. However, he meets with a woman with whom intimacy grows. This invigorates his determination to tackle his current problem. Thus he decides to open a shop, an idea suggested by his wife lot many times but denied because he lacked confidence in himself.

A cooking poet: This short story revolves around two main characters i.e. Acharya, an aged poet and his equally well versed apprentice named Giri. Acharya feels encouraged by Giri’s poems to write his own epic but finds that he always ended up crossing his works. Unexpectedly, amidst this, he is recognized with a medal. Giri, a gentle and shy lad dies an unimagined death: in a protest. A talent so trusted by Acharya as promising is lost.

Deepak Misra’s secretary: The repercussion of difference in culture is explicit in this short story. Even love marriage fails, Deepak and Jill, a foreigner, gets separated. Clash of culture divides their path. Deepak suffers while Jill enjoys with new boyfriend. In such time, his secretary Bandana-ji expresses her love and they make love. However, he hasn’t let go Jill from his life. He terminates Bandana-ji and when he tries once again to bring Jill back, he realizes that Bandana-ji was his right woman.

The limping bride: The short story tells that some things are much powerful than men’s capability. Hiralal manages to marry his drunkard son Moti with a limping bride named Rukumi in the hope of bringing Moti out of drinking. However, as time passes, Moti grows increasingly wary with him and careless of Rukumi that Hiralal spends time at house consoling Rukumi. Soon, things take a turn. Rukumi offers for Hiralal’s desires.

During the Festival: Finding that beauty can be experienced even without a price, Ganesh suddenly feels insecurity about his wife. Jealousy and doubt rise in him. He assumes that she has a lover. The internal turmoil undermines his ability as a man. Once, in sadness that he doubts of her faith, she suffers a small cut when cutting vegetable. The small incidence makes him realize that she is faithful to him and regains his composure.

The room next door: The short story demonstrates the social stigma against getting pregnant when in school. When Shakuntala discovers that her daughter Shanti is pregnant, she asks her husband Mohandas to bring her home in the night. Though Shakuntala tries to hide the truth and escape from stigma by not letting anyone in Shanti’s room saying she is seriously sick, people speculate of this misfortune. Shanti’s lover has left her. When she gives birth, Mohandas marries her with Lamfu, a mentally retard. Shanti accepts so that her son is not orphaned by her mother.

The man with long hair: When Aditya found Nirmal, theatre performer, in the theatre for the first time, he experiences a feeling of having known Nirmal as if from past life. He even starts fight because some defamed Nirmal. He is badly beaten up. Nirmal helps him to his house. There he realizes how much his wife loves him because she cared less about who he has brought with but more about his safety and injuries.

This world: The ingrained idea that children of well-off parents use children of lowly parents is challenged by the short story. Jaya, son of the retired Minister, spots Kranti, daughter of simple parents, at a party in New York and since then relationship grows. When they return to their homeland, Kathmandu, Kranti’s mother warns her about the relationship and tries to fix marriage with a Brahmin lad. Meanwhile, Kranti catches Jaya with another woman. She denies her mother’s proposal and as well discards the relationship with Jaya. When she boards the flight to go for Master’s, there outside, she finds Jaya silently having come to see her off.

A great man’s house: From the perspective of his worker, a renowned practitioner called Kailash is described about his sudden fame and his service towards mankind through the mode of weekly teachings. One day, out of nowhere, a young daughter of his acquaintance is included in the meeting, much to the displeasure of regular attendants who are the elderly. Soon, the aura of Kailash’s house changes and she succeeds in establishing herself powerful. Weekly teaching comes to end and Kailash gets seriously sick that he cannot rise from bed. For few months, she attends him but after that she starts bringing her lovers in her room and staying away. Kailash cannot do anything other than ask his worker of who was the man and stay in moans and groans out of pain.