'Paresh babu has come across the Philosopher's Stone. The secondary details of this event—such as when he found it, where he found it, how he found it and whether other such stones can be found—are utterly irrelevant. Just listen to my story....'

Rajshekhar Basu, or Parashuram, was one of the most venerated figures of 20th century Bengal. A leading light of Bengali literature, Rajshekhar was a remarkable personality. His first book of stories, Gaddalika was well-received and Rabindranath Tagore really appreciated the book.