Fantasy and prudence are like a swing door through which imagination and creativity move without any effort. Devdas Chhotray acknowledges that the stories are tantamount to falsehood though it is perceptible at a certain point.’Five Ways to Kill Ramaa’ is a uniuqe theme of the writer playfully toying with disparate ideas to kill Ramaa. The writer builds a castle in the air and conceptualizes five different ways of doing this. Since her childhood, he has known Ramaa. Then he had frequently visited Tiku, who is Ramaa’s elder brother. She was a sloppy mess and had unkempt hair, which was covered with dandruff, and that’s the reason why her hair was shaved frequently. In his childhood, Ramaa’s living room became a place to enact the play where he and Ramaa acted like a couple and Tiku as a tutor. Ramaa draped herself with Kuni aunty’s saree, decked herself up in jewels and had put vermilion on her forehead. He fantasized about Ramaa in the same attire when he was thirteen. He still remembers when Ramaa wore a saree for the first time. She looked like a beautiful rose in her pink saree. She revealed her grandeur. She appeared like a bride, but he could never see her because, fifteen years after of this incident, she eloped with Bikas and solemnized her marriage in court.Ramaa’s attitude towards the writer was never favourable, but her first saree-draped matured figure transfigured him into a grown-up man.In Bikas and Ramaa’s story, the writer introduces the character, Bikas. Bikas’s personality enticed Ramaa, and she was put under a spell by his charm. Ramaa justified her action and, of course, succeeded in marrying Bikas. The writer was a scapegoat in this affair and witnessed their marriage. His bitterness for Bikas grew with time, and he always tried to find a way to spoil this prospering liaison.’Why to Kill Ramaa’ presents the writer’s devilish vision of slaying Ramaa. In ‘The First Attempt, ‘ the writer spilled kerosene all over the floor and lit a fire. The glass case in which Ramaa was standing was engulfed with fire. The next day he turned the newspaper’s pages, apprehending that the news might have been published but finally concluded that it was his dream but not the reality. In the second, third, fourth, and fifth attempts, the writer lists various strategies to kill Ramaa. These indicate his attitude and resentment for Ramaa.

Aranyak, written in 1939, is a famous Bengali novel by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay based on his long and arduous years in northern Bihar. There he came into contact with a part of the world that, even now, remains unknown to most of us. ‘Aranyak’ literally means ‘Of the Forest’. This novel explores the simple and heart-warming story of a man who gets a job as an estate manager in Bihar and slowly falls in love with the beautiful and tranquil forest around him. The dichotomy of urban and rural life comes alive, reflecting the great love that human beings and nature can share, one that Bandyopadhyay experienced in his heart. Written by one of the greatest Bengali authors, this haunting novel is rooted in guilt and sadness but also tremendous beauty. Odia author and translator Laxminarayan Mohanty has translated this novel as “Banachari” in Odia. Novel has received the Sahitya Akademi Translation Award in 1990.

A dancer’s devotion, a daughter’s defiance-faith and tradition tested across generations…

In the sacred city of Puri, temple dancer Mukta has devoted her life to Lord Jagannath, offering her art as worship. Yet as age weaves silver into her hair, Mukta is summoned to perform the grand Badasinghara dance-a divine honour that stirs questions of legacy and faith. Her world soon unravels: forbidden desires, miraculous revelations, and royal edicts threaten the fragile devadasi tradition. Amid scandal and loss, Mukta entrusts her hopes to Maya, a child destined to inherit both devotion and defiance. Years later, Maya’s voice rises against exploitation, seeking justice while preserving her mother’s sacred art. Spanning generations of devotion and betrayal, Devadasi is a powerful tale of faith, resilience, and the struggle to uphold tradition in the face of oppression.

Original Odia novel is the winner of the Odisha Sahitya Akademi award.

‘ଡୁଡ଼ିୟା’ ଉପନ୍ୟାସଟି ଚିରାଚରିତ କାହାଣୀ ଉପସ୍ଥାପନା ଶୈଳୀକୁ ଅତିକ୍ରମ କରି ଅଳ୍ପ ପୃଷ୍ଠାରେ ମାଓବାଦ ସମସ୍ୟାର ଅନାସକ୍ତ ବ୍ୟବଚ୍ଛେଦ ଉପସ୍ଥାପନ କରିଛି। ଜଣେ ନିର୍ବାଚନ ପର୍ଯ୍ୟବେକ୍ଷକଙ୍କ ଦୃଷ୍ଟିରୁ ‘ଡୁଡ଼ିୟା’ ରଚିତ, ଯେଉଁଥିରେ ଛତିଶଗଡ଼ର ଆଦିବାସୀ ଅଧ୍ୟୁଷିତ ଜଙ୍ଗଲର ଯୁବତୀ ‘ଡୁଡ଼ିୟା’ଙ୍କୁ କେନ୍ଦ୍ରରେ ରଖି ଏକାଧିକ ହୃଦୟବିଦାରକ ଘଟଣାବଳୀ ଗତିଶୀଳ ହୋଇଛି। ସରକାରୀ ଅଧିକାରୀଙ୍କ ନିରଙ୍କୁଶ ଶୋଷଣ ଓ ନିର୍ଯାତନାରେ ଅତିଷ୍ଠ ହୋଇ ନିରୀହ ଆଦିବାସୀଙ୍କୁ ନକ୍ସଲଙ୍କୁ ତ୍ରାଣକର୍ତ୍ତା ଭାବେ ଗ୍ରହଣ କରିବାକୁ ପଡ଼ିଛି। ପରେ ସେହି ତ୍ରାଣକର୍ତ୍ତାମାନେ ଉତ୍ପୀଡ଼କର ଭୂମିକା ଗ୍ରହଣ କରିଛନ୍ତି। ଘଟଣାକ୍ରମେ ମୁଖ୍ୟ ଚରିତ୍ର ‘ଡୁଡ଼ିୟା’ଙ୍କ ବଡ଼ ଭାଇ ପୁଲିସରେ ଯୋଗ ଦେଇଛନ୍ତି। ଅପରପକ୍ଷେ ‘ଡୁଡ଼ିୟା’ ନିଜ ସମ୍ପ୍ରଦାୟର ଘୃଣ୍ୟ ପ୍ରଥାରୁ ବର୍ତ୍ତିବା ପାଇଁ ମାଓବାଦ ଗୋଷ୍ଠୀରେ ସାମିଲ ହୋଇଛନ୍ତି। ସେଠାରେ ସେ ଶିକ୍ଷା ଓ ଆତ୍ମବିଶ୍ଵାସ ପାଇଛନ୍ତି ସତ ହେଲେ ମାଓ ନେତାଙ୍କ ଯୌନ ଶୋଷଣ ତଥା ତାଙ୍କୁ ହତ୍ୟାକାରୀରେ ପରିଣତ କରାଯିବା ତାଙ୍କୁ ପୁଣି ଥରେ ମାଓବାଦ ପ୍ରତି ବିତୃଷ୍ଣ କରିଛି। ସେ ସେଠାରୁ ମୁକୁଳି ଆସି ପୁଲିସ ନିକଟରେ ଆତ୍ମସମର୍ପଣ କରିଛନ୍ତି ଏବଂ ତାଙ୍କର ନୂଆ ପାରିବାରିକ ଜୀବନ ଆରମ୍ଭ ହୋଇଛି। ଶେଷରେ ମାଓବାଦୀ ଓ ସରକାରଙ୍କ ଛକାପଞ୍ଛା ମଧ୍ୟରେ ନିର୍ବାଚନ ଶାନ୍ତିପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଭାବେ ଶେଷ ହେଉଛି। କିନ୍ତୁ ଆଉ ଏକ ବିସ୍ଫୋରଣ ‘ଡୁଡ଼ିୟା’ଙ୍କ ମନର ଗୂଢ଼ ପ୍ରଶ୍ନକୁ ଆହୁରି ଶକ୍ତିଶାଳୀ ରୂପେ ଉପସ୍ଥାପିତ କରିଛି ମାଓ-ପୁଲିସ ଲଢ଼େଇରେ ଆଉ କେତେ ନିରୀହ ଆଦିବାସୀ ବଳି ପଡ଼ିବେ?