Subhash and Udayan are two brothers raised in Calcutta, India. The two brothers study up to university together. At college, Udayan becomes radical and joins a group of radical politics purporting to defend the rights of the poor. Sensing the danger, Subhash flees to the U.S to pursue a Ph.D. Before long, Subhash gets a letter informing him about the death of his younger brother. He travels back to India to attend the burial. After the funeral, he returns to the U.S with Gauri, Udayan’s wife.
The major themes in the book are violence, betrayal, and death. Udayan involves himself with radical politics, which eventually leads to his death. Udayan, together with other members of the splinter group, Naxalite movement, resort to violence to air their displeasure with the government. The movement thinks that violence is a way of resisting the government. Such actions and decisions are met with executions. Police officers start killing people associated with the Naxalite movement. People are living with fear and tension.
Udayan defies her parents to marry Gauri. In the book, it is clear that Udayan is a resistant person. He resists the government of the day and also resists the attempts of his parents to marry him off to another girl. Some bold actions can lead to consequences. People should look for better ways of solving political differences. Resorting to violence may lead to deaths.
