The Interloper  (English, Paperback, Debesh Banerjee)

The twenty-first century began with a bang for Bengal. The small village of Damanpur suddenly rose to national prominence when Bye-Bye Tire company, backed by its huge conglomerate, decided to build a state-of-the-art factory there. The plans were monumental but not easy, as some owners were reluctant to give up their ancestral lands to make way for a promised future. The events that followed constitute one of the darkest episodes of Indian politics in recent times. From multinational corporates to law enforcement, judiciary to national media, civil society to the federal government...everything and everybody got involved in the quagmire. Terms like rules, rights, and revolution became a regular feature in the headlines. This is a story of that place and time. Sounds familiar? But that’s about as pertinent as this story gets to reality. The rest is pure fiction, blended with a bit of fantasy. It has a raging cyclone, a glowing lake, a mansion in ruins, and a ghost from another century. They are imperative to the tale – one which tends to blur the lines between real, unreal and surreal. Inspired by real events, this is a twisted tale of fate, greed, power and politics that lures you into the darkness that exists around and within us. This story can’t be boxed into a single genre. It’s a journey that one has to take, knowing the risk that they might be left disappointed at the end. Much like we do in life.