In this anthology of Malayalam short stories which is situated in the time period of the early twentieth century, readers get a brief yet poignant glimpse of the changing social and cultural landscape of Kerala. Editor Mini Krishnan, translator Venugopal Menon and the eminent MM Basheer who also helped in the story selection have brought together a collection of stories which takes an intimate look at the lives of the Malayali community. This includes the portrayal of individual ambitions overstepping the bounds of society; women questioning their status in the house and even daring to earn for themselves, while others limit themselves to the roles they are given; the respectability accorded to the profession of writing; the sheer resilience and grief of loving someone and also refrain from looking at life’s humorous side.
The title story is quite literally about the desire of Kunju Namboodiri to remarry since he is not attracted to the status and wealth of his first wife. Such an individualistic desire causes tensions in the illam (the residence of the Namboodiris) and we see the protagonist standing up to his father as well, which was quite scandalous for the times. But it only takes a careless accident to make Kunju realize the blessing to have his wife nearby as she nurtures him back to health. Some of the selected stories also showcase legal dramas where lawyers become the heroes who help vulnerable individuals from societal marginalization and penury.