Abhilash Menon is a failure—unable to hold a steady job and living in the shadow of his successful wife. After being laid off yet again, at a vulnerable moment, long-buried memories—dark and disturbing—begin to resurface, unraveling him from within. With his mind in turmoil and panic tightening its chokehold, he contemplates suicide. In desperation, he turns to writing as a last hope for survival.
As he begins to write, his memories carry him back to his days as a first-year engineering student in a provincial hostel, where he once embraced the unofficial tradition of ragging—a rite of passage, a way to toughen up and become a man. But as he and the other juniors in his group are forced to confront the brutal reality of the ritual, their grit and endurance are pushed to the brink.
When long-suppressed stories from the hostel’s past begin to assert themselves, fate plays its hand—intertwining the dubious motives of seniors, the conflicting sentiments of juniors, and the strengths and flaws of key characters. What unfolds is a confrontation that leads to tragic consequences.
Stories They Won’t Tell is a darkly tender tale of lost innocence which explores the themes of memory, masculinity, and moral reckoning. Featuring unforgettable characters and piercing episodes, it will tickle, shock, and tug at readers’ hearts in equal measure.
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Prakash Rajan
Prakash Rajan is the author of 10 1/2 Stories of Our Times, a collection of short stories published in 2017. An engineer by training, he works on the business side of healthcare technology and consulting. Raised in Bengaluru, India, he now lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two children. He is a cinephile and an avid reader of literary fiction.
