What Really Happened

Classic tales from the O. Henry of Bengali literature translated into English for the first time, these stories by legendary writer Banaphool cleverly explore how life’s absurdities are negotiated through human relationships—whether between friends or family, lovers or strangers. In the title story, a lovelorn boy waits earnestly in his hostel room for the arrival of his beloved, only to be greeted by a rude shock. In ‘Conjugal Dreams’, the fickle nature of love is at the center of the story, as two newlyweds confront their respective old loves. In ‘The Homecoming’, an insurance agent travelling home by train for Durga Puja encounters a most unexpected co-passenger. In ‘The Corpse’, a harmless wager leads to very dramatic consequences. Moulded out of everyday occurrences and happenings, these sparkling vignettes range from poignant and tragic to whimsical and satirical. In these tales, Banaphool invokes a host of enduring characters even as he makes sharp observations about the human condition.