Review of "Nungshitombi" written by Rajmani Ayekpam

Publisher: Ashangba Communications

Price : Rs. 150 (Paperback)

Rs. 200 (Hardbound)

Nungshitombi is a collection short stories which was written by Rajmani Ayekpam. He was born in 1964 to A. Bheigyachandra and A. Ongbi Leimahal Devi of Sagolband Loukrakpam Leikai. Besides this, he has also penned two short stories (Natheiraba Echel and Ebudhougi Thang), two prose (Chumthanggi Machu and Thaktoklakpa Mamising). He is also a playwrighter. A number of his plays has been broadcasted in the All India Radio, Imphal as radio plays. Prominent among them are Atithi Thunglabada, Athouba Kajao, Paithokkhraba Cheklana. 

The book is a collection of 19 short stories written over a period of 9 years between 2006 to 2013. The stories in Nungshitombi are tragedies.Though the stories are not as interesting as the ones written by Sommerset Maugham and O Henry but the topic it covered are wide and diverse. It took over 9 years to write all the stories as such the topic are divergent and encompassing. The writer handled the new and controversial topic like surrogate mother in such a delicate way that you can't decide whether to support it or to ban it. Homosexuality, their misery, the way the society treat them and its impact on the society are also discuss at length. The issue of fake encounter has been also highlighted in two stories. Recently the Government of India has validated the issue of fake encounter at the Supreme Court. However, after reading the stories on fake encounter you will realise the pain that the victim's parents have to go through. Not only this the stories of two best friends divided by the corruption is also there.

The stories pertains to contemporary time and the language used is also modern nature. Most of the narration in the stories are done either by a character in the stories or a narrator. The common theme in most of the stories is that the actors or the protagonists are put in unhappy circumstances beyond their control which makes their lives miserable. The stories are not emotionally engaging however due to the variety of the subject makes it interesting to read. It depicts the modern maladies of homosexual, destitute women forced into flesh trade, fake encounter, corruption, men having sex with men and the contemporary problem of taboo love. Most of the stories begin with the end/consequences then it retraces the beginning or the cause. The style of writing are simple, straighforward with little use of metaphor, symbol and conceit.   

If you are looking are an interesting book then you may skip this one.