This collection of 45 stories by Nidadhavolu Malathi was a random pick from the library. I never heard about either the book or the author before and hence started reading it with certain skepticism. Soon, I got absorbed into the varied themes the stories touched upon and realized that I like the collection. The author dealt with subtle emotions and portrayed the prevalent societal norms and values in the most non-dramatic manner. Some of them depicted NRI lives in USA. This is the first time I encountered that theme in Telugu literature and I found it refreshing.
Also, one important thing that struck me as I read through the stories was that the protagonists were not idealistic; they were normal with their own shortcomings and insecurities. They didn't do great things and didn't often solve their own problems. I felt that the author didn't try to convey any message or tried to solve the characters' issues, which makes these stories an artistic record of the author's astute and fine observations of human behavior. Essentially this characteristic leaves a lot for the readers to think about and reflect on.
Barring a few stories, which didn't appeal to me, the collection makes a decent read.
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