The events illustrated in the book take place during a stormy night and talk about the household troubles that Sharat and Kiran, his wife, face. Kiran, who has recently been ill, w... The events illustrated in the book take place during a stormy night and talk about the household troubles that Sharat and Kiran, his wife, face. Kiran, who has recently been ill, wants to go back to her village but Sharat wants her to stay put so that she can recover. All of this is happening in the background when she and a young boy, Nilkanta, who is a wreck survivor, becomes part of their family. Kiran turns to him in compassion, while Sharat can’t help but feel irritated by the many mischievous deeds of Nilkanta that seems to influence their home. As Kiran attempts to shape him while understanding the shortcomings, Kiran develops an attachment with Nilkanta, because he is uneducated and has been formerly associated with a drama troupe. But then, Sharat’s brother Satish’s presence creates an awkward situation because in this case, Kiran is the one that draws focus from Kiran, eventually making Nilkanta feel alone and bitter. When Satish blames Nilkanta of thieving his most precious possession, his inkstand, trouble rears its head. Although Kiran spoke on behalf of Nilkanta, he was later found with the inkstand he sought to demonstrate was not in his possession, which eliminated his fantasy scenario. Kiran recommended Nilkanta to go home, which he eventually did. He left a deep sadness for a stray dog he cared about, and disappeared. The central themes of the story are loss of compassion, misjudgment, human interference, and how these irrevocably result in an undesired void. Read more