Night of the Snake

The stories in this collection make an effort to examine the manifold aspects of human behaviour that appears normal in normal circumstances but can change inexplicably under pressure exercised either by the society or the people around us or by an inconceivably intriguing inner conscious. While some of them set out to probe the subliminal, to uncover the truth deeply embedded there that all tales of human existence are woven around, to define the terrible conflicts our souls are torn with, some others try to capture the varying moods of man caught in a web of prejudices and predilections, ambitions, fantasy, and vain pursuits. There are stories that try to portray men and women as pathetic victims of social injustice, poverty, superstition and a malignant destiny. They are tales of suffering and sacrifice of men and women, of the harsh disillusionment that spring from unfulfilled desires. In a way they too are attempts to define the weird and mysterious acts of the characters, whether an adult or a child, through an exploration of the many layered and obscure patterns of man's subconscious. We all know that a story can be told in several ways. In the words of Khalid Hosseini 'A story is like a moving train: no matter where you hop on board, you are bound to reach your destination sooner or later.' These stories too, irrespective of the manner in which they are told, intend to create what Poe calls the "single effect" to guide the readers to the right destination. The response of the readers, hence, would decide the extent of their success in accomplishing the goal.