In a dysfunctional marriage, it may seem convenient when the wife commits suicide, but things aren’t always what they seem. Battling both a fractured marriage and the monsters in her cranium, Aisha leads a sequestered life on the outskirts of a town in the hills of North India. She struggles to stay functional and tries to wean herself off the pills that keep her from tipping over the edge. Meanwhile, Prithvi, the husband she once loved, seems as eager to be rid of her, as she is to flee from him. Only her children keep her tethered to her hearth. One rainy afternoon, Heer, Aisha's half-sister, her father's illegitimate daughter from another woman, appears. Despite her misgivings, Aisha goes into town and never comes back. Seemingly unperturbed, Heer slips into her missing sister's shoes effortlessly, taking charge of the house, the kids-even Prithvi, who responds to her overtures willingly. A note found in Aisha's wallet states that she has killed herself, although strange happenings leave room for doubts. But, if she is not dead, where is Aisha? Did she really commit suicide? has she been abducted or is she hiding? Why does Prithvi not grieve for his deceased wife? And why does Heer vanish without a trace one day, leaving no forwarding address? Examining the destruction a dystopian marriage and mental illness leave in their wake, 'Missing Presumed Dead' confronts the fragility of relationships, the ugly truths about love and death and the horrifying loss of everything we hold dear, including ourselves.
Author
Kiran Manral is an Indian author, TEDx Speaker, columnist, mentor and feminist. She has written books across genres in both fiction and nonfiction. Her books include The Reluctant Detective, Once Upon A Crush, All Aboard, Karmic Kids, A Boy’s Guide to Growing Up, The Face at the Window, Saving Maya, Missing, Presumed Dead, The Kitty Party Murder, More Things in Heaven and Earth, 13 Steps to Bloody Good Parenting which she co-authored with Ashwin Sanghi and Raising Kids with Hope and Wonder in Times of a Pandemic and Climate Change. She has authored a short series called True Love Stories for Juggernaut. She also has published short stories in various magazines, in acclaimed anthologies like the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, Have A Safe Journey, Boo, The Best Asian Speculative Fiction 2018, Grandpa’s Tales, Magical Women and City of Screams. Her nonfiction book, Karmic Kids: The Story of Parenting Nobody Told You, was listed amongst the top five books on parenting by Indian authors in 2015 by the Sunday Guardian. The Face at the Window, released in 2016, was listed amongst the top 30 books written by women authors in 2016 by The Ladies Finger, as among the must read books by contemporary women authors by BuzzingBubs and received much critical acclaim. The Times of India stated that “Manral may have very well pioneered the "Himalayan Gothic" genre” with this book. Her novella, Saving Maya, was long listed for the 2018 Saboteur Awards, UK, supported by the Arts Council England, The Kitty Party Murder was shortlisted for the AutHER Awards 2020 Popular Choice Awards. The Face at the Window was long listed at Jio MAMI Word to Screen and showcased at the Singapore International Film Festival.
