"It was a wonderful experience interacting with you and appreciate the way you have planned and executed the whole publication process within the agreed timelines.”
Subrat SaurabhAuthor of Kuch Woh Pal
The Sunderbans… Beautiful forests as the name says… The largest mangrove forests of the world, home to several endangered species of fauna, a tourist’s dream destination, stunning landscapes that ignite a painter’s passion…
But, what of the humans who inhabit this picture-perfect land of tiny islands, estuarine streams, marshy swamps, and lush green fields?
Beneath the breathtakingly beautiful sky of myriad colours and the flaming red, bleeding sunsets, they lead a life of extreme hardship, every day a challenge, with the fear of attacks by the man-eating tigers, the crocodiles that abound the streams, and the constant threat of storms and cyclones that can turn their fertile fields into saline swamps in a few minutes, wiping out a lifetime’s labour.
And the women… second-class humans like everywhere, but more so in this rural, remote corner, treated like beasts of burden, hard toil taking a toll of their lives, subjected to domestic violence, sexual assaults from human predators with rape and murder being common events, at the mercy of the rich and powerful…
This is the saga of the courage of one such woman—Kalyani, orphaned before reaching her teens, married before fourteen, mother of four, widowed in the early thirties, extremely poor, but uncompromising in her dignity, who does not succumb to pressures or favours and brings up her children single-handedly, relying only on her own hard labour.
This story, set in the village of Sajnekhali, on the banks of the Matla River, could be the story of so many who live under the bleeding skies with bleeding hearts.
Priya Somaiya
Priya Somaiya is a Kashmiri Pandit born and brought up in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. With a Ph.D in Psychology from Allahabad University, she has four decades of work experience as an HR practitioner and is a leading HR consultant and OD specialist of India.
Dr. Somaiya has also contributed extensively to the Social Sector. Presently she is running her own HR consulting company and counselling practice.
Her fascination for the Sunderbans arises out of the several visits she has made there for work.
Being a highly sensitive and perceptive HR specialist, she has developed a deep empathy for the people of this beautiful, but extremely challenging area.
Writing is her passion through which she spreads awareness of the little-understood areas of our country.
This is Dr. Somaiya’s 6th book (or Novel). She has also written extensively on HR subjects throughout her career and is still pursuing writing and publishing.
