Fera by Taslima Nasrin [Hardcover]

Kalyani was merely seventeen at the time, studying at Anandamohan College. Skipping college to wander with Badal and grow closer to him was her thrilling adventure. During that turbulent phase, her father returned home one day and abruptly announced, “Pack your bags, we’re moving to India.” While her parents stayed behind, Kalyani, along with her elder brother, younger brother, uncle, and cousins, left Mymensingh for Kolkata.
Twenty-six years have passed since. Kalyani’s parents are no more; she couldn’t even see them one last time. Having left her shelter at her maternal uncle’s home in Tiljala, she now resides in Salt Lake as Anirban’s wife and mother to Jayisha and Deepan. She teaches at a school. Yet, the memories of her life in Mymensingh haunt her—constantly calling her back. Relentlessly. Kalyani had once promised Badal and her friends, “I’ll return, no matter what.” But is it ever easy to return? What will that return even look like?
This poignant novel, Fera (The Return), delves into this question. It’s not just Kalyani’s tale but an inevitable story of anyone who has left their homeland and yearns to go back.