On the surface, Antral looks like a typical novel looking into the relationship of Kumar and Shyama from a glass prism. Their story begins by giving an outsider’s insider perspective on how they both met and started on this tumultuous journey of developing their bond over the next few weeks.

However, when you start reading it and move from chapter to chapter, you realize that it’s more than that. It’s looking at their relationship from a psychological and even physical point of view.

These origins could be traced back to their long-drawn conversations and continuing discussions about their life outlooks.

While Kumar is still struggling to come out of a futile and almost one-sided affair with a local girl who has made her choice by leaving him behind and entering an arranged marriage; Shyam, on the other hand, is still coming to terms with the death of her husband. Both are still reeling from their losses and assessing what needs to be done for the loneliness staring in their faces. Of course, for Shyama, the situation is much tricky owing to her widowhood making her a single mother and woman without any male presence in the household.

Kumar is nostalgic about his failed romance and it has made him a pessimist towards life. He is clearly struggling to maintain his relationships as we later see with his marriage and eventual separation. It is also reflected in his on-again-off-again correspondence with Shyama.

As far as Shyama is concerned, she is unsure about her feelings towards her short-lived marriage, her husband, her daughter, and her in-laws. All she needs is a friendly shoulder to rely on and clear out her mind about the unexpected shifts in her life. But at a vulnerable moment, she also admits to herself that she is perhaps expecting more from Kumar and how their relationship should progress.

Taking into consideration all of this, it’s interesting to see how their relationship moves ahead in a definite direction once they finally meet. It’s not what is expected out of each other but rather what is needed from each other, that underlines their final meeting. 

What makes this novel so unique is its perspective on male-female relationships moving away from platonic or intimate terms to bring a clear juxtaposition of the life choices made by its central characters. Ultimately, it’s better to live life in a truer sense with what your heart desires than to make a reckless decision purely out of passionate needs.

That’s why I would recommend this as a must-read for anyone who loves to look at the complexity of human relationships and the shifting sands of opposite sex companionship. It’s indeed worth your time to add it to your TBR pile.