Bapi Basu captures a delightful kaleidoscope of colourful vignettes from life in one of the most interesting of literary genres, the short story. Warm, realistic, affectionate and with a sardonic sense of humour, these have been written with considerable insight into the vagaries of human existence, the idiosyncrasies of the wanton mind and the fine pathos of human aspirations...

In Joe and Maria, he recreates the quintessential Anglo Indian household, living on the Goan beach...The narrative opens with the calm quiet of the sea and the seventy year old protagonist Joe, who has...