A young man—the unnamed narrator of My Father’s Garden Studies medicine in a small town in Jharkhand. There he falls in love with a classmate, Sunit, then another, Lucky and is left heartbroken by both. He then finds love with Nirmal, a junior who invades his mind and heart. But when, on their last morning together, he asks his lover for a goodbye kiss, Nirmal tells him, ‘A kiss can only be for someone special.’ Nursing heartbreak and appointed as a doctor in a neighbouring district, he finds a friend in Bada Babu, the head clerk of the hospital where he works. The two share a love for good drink, good food and convivial, raucous company. Then government bulldozers arrive one day to tear down Bada Babu’s house, the site of many enjoyable evenings together, the young doctor uncovers a sordid tale of government apathy and exploitation and a side to his friend that leaves him disgusted and disillusioned. and in the final story, the doctor at home, now wiser in the ways of the world and of love reflects on his father, his mercurial rise at work and in politics, his equally steep downfall and finds in their lush garden the deep-rooted seeds of his father’s unhappiness. Written with the simplicity and directness that are the hallmarks of Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar’s work and traversing the towns and hinterlands of Jharkhand that he can evoke like no one else can, My Father’s Garden is heartfelt, gripping story of one man making his way in the world of men, negotiating work, love, companionship and the burdens of expectation.