A leading critic of our time rightly wrote: ?The river has no pretense?there is no pretense in Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay?s novelist. A vivid childhood memory, a painful experience-crisis and a calm, dispassionate observation?above all, a supremely noble theism has shaped his writer-life.? This sense of theism is the main strength of Shirshendu, one of the rare writers of Bengali fiction. Even in the midst of all the doubts of life, he utters ?the words of an undoubted passage? with immense courage. Even in the midst of the endless directionlessness around him, he is brave. Here he is a unique creator. In any of Shirshendu?s stories, we see that despite all the dangers around him, ?humanity?s human anxiety for humanity is unbearable?. At this moment, life is passing through a troubled time. Yet, within it, he searches for the sacred nature of man with utmost compassion. He believes that there is a refuge somewhere, a place to return. Along with theism, this ?lover yet aloof? writer?s entire creation is intertwined with ?an unfathomable longing for love?. In his own words, ?I have tried to express this longing in various ways in my writing. Yet, it seems that even today, due to the failure of my expression, I have not been able to convey to everyone the love within me.... Does this world, this Kolkata, this country understand, can it understand my unspoken love? Can everything be expressed through language?? Despite the author?s own doubts, the characters he created carry ?that wave of love?. In the style and construction of the novel, Shirshendu?s intimate yet detached manner and insight have added another dimension to Bengali fiction. All his novels have been arranged to be published in installments. This twelfth volume contains nine memorable novels: Many Stories, Manasamangal, Sandhi Propos, After Making a Mistake, Bandevi and Five Pigeons, Madam and Monsieur, Sati Deh, Toy Story, Incidentally