A local gangster in Madurai bids adieu to his past life. Years after, in his mid-50s, he falls in love with a young girl, which changes his life.

Durgesh Nandini by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay This is the first Bengali novel written way back in 1865. By none other than the author who also gave us Vande Matram – India’s national song. Senarai Program Asasi Usmma. I first came across Durgesh Nandini in the compilation. I started reading it as soon as I could get my hands on it. The fact that this is the first modern novel in India makes it a special reading.

Durgesh Nandini does not disappoint at all even 140 years after it was first published. The story is set in Bengal during the times of Akbar putting it somewhere in the 16 th CE. Three main players are the Mughal army, Pathan army, and the Rajputs. And the dynamics between them as three ruling factions fighting for the eastern kingdoms. Main story though is a love triangle between the Rajput prince, a local princess, and a Pathan girl. They move in and out of each other’s lives driven by the external factors and political compulsions.

Eventually, they behave as humans, though many lives are lost in the process. Vimala, a strong female character binds the whole story together. She is a great example of a woman who comes from the lowest social strata but goes on to become a key player in the whole story. Since it was written when all these factions did exist in the society, though the British may have started dominating at that time, it gives a good picture of the times.