Numair Atif Choudhury, a prolific Bangladeshi author paints the dark and distinct side of Dhaka in the anthology Taxi wallah and other stories. Choudhury’s works gained recognition posthumously. And these short stories are a glimpse of the rich literature that could have come from his quill had it not been for that fateful accident in 2018.

Taxi wallah and other stories is an anthology published by HarperCollins India. The book comprises of 11 stories. These stories are crisp and pack a punch. If you like reading short stories then you will zap through this one. I relished it slowly and let these stories sink in.  These stories have a high recall value and will stay with me for long.

When it comes to storytelling the author has an innocent and nonchalant  way of delivering the heartbreaks. The stories are brutal, gut wrenching and seeped in reality. The truth subtly settles on you. The stories majorly focus on the impoverished. The words of the author capture the compulsive and constrictive life led in poverty.

Asking Why is a story that shows us how we pay no heed to the existence of street dwellers. They are usually seen as a nuisance. This story was much upsetting but emphatically told. Crumble was a story that literally shook me and it was quite unsettling. Rabia was a story that showed class distinction. And dictum that a maid is supposed to follow.

From the first story, Taxi wallah to the last story On the way, this book shows us different shades of poverty. The writing is powerful. And not to be missed.

To buy this book, pls click – https://amzn.to/3kSdTRc

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