Kishanlal is small-time in other ways too. His love-making for instance would put a dead man to shame. Down where it counts, Nilanjana is the equivalent of the Gujarat earthquake waiting to happen. Kishanlal can’t even trigger a tremor in Nilanjana’s fluid, tectonic sexuality. Worse, Kishanlal expects Nilanjana to vacuum the house and cook; and when he returns in the evening—which, alas, is everyday—he expects her to wait on him. In return, Nilanjana gets free lodging and boarding, and lots of spare time. This is not a bad bargain as bargains go, but feminists like Nilanjana can’t recognise a deal even if deals develop teeth and bite them. Ah, yes, there’s one more thing which gets on Nilanjana’s nerves: Kishanlal is a convulsive disappointment when it comes to understanding the fine things in life, such as music or the full moon.