When Longing Becomes Dangerous: A Look at Sanjay Tamta’s If Longing Could Kill
There is something inherently unsettling about a quiet mountain settlement. The mist conceals more than the landscape, isolated cottages seem to hold their own secrets, and familiar faces can become strangers when darkness falls. Sanjay Tamta’s If Longing Could Kill embraces this atmosphere beautifully, creating a historical mystery where the stillness of the hills becomes the perfect backdrop for murder. Set in Mansuri in 1952, only five years after India gained Independence, the novel takes readers to Ludor Hilltop, a secluded community surrounded by dense forests, steep mountain paths and an old cemetery. Life here appears peaceful, almost uneventful. The residents know one another, routines rarely change, and the outside world seems distant. Yet beneath this tranquillity lie old wounds, personal ambitions and secrets waiting to surface. The mystery begins with a disappearance. Sant Ram, the local milkman, notices something unusual about Gopal Dass, the young caretaker o...
