Swayamvara

'Chatterjee moshai looked at the pages on his almanac.
'The festival of Ambubachi is going to go on till 9:57. The rain won't let up before that.'
'Oh my!' said Binod, the lawyer. 'How do we get home, then?'
Bangsholochanbabu was the host. Scratching his chin, he said, 'Why don't you think of that when the rain finally stops? Have dinner here. Udo! Go and tell them we're having guests tonight!'
'Yes,' Chatterjee moshai added, 'We'll have khichudi and hilsa fry…'
'That's all well and good,' Binodbabu said, adjusting his cushion, 'but what are we to do till then? Chatterjee moshai, why don't you tell us a story?'
Thinking for a while, Chatterjee moshai began...'

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.