Divya Prakash Dubey
2014
Hind Yugm
pp. 206
Masala Chai is a collection of short stories by Divya Prakash Dubey. It is exactly what the introduction claims it to be, stories that you share with your friends over a cup of tea. Most stories are simple, based on everyday occurrences that characterise life in middle class households in many places in India. The one that liked the most was ‘Hum Do, Humare Ek’. It has the characteristic Dubey touch, which also showed its head in ‘Jeevanshadi.com’. His ability to delve into the nebulous is what is most appealing. His writing is simple, straight from the heart. If you have heard him speak, you will be able to hear his voice, talking in your head as you read the stories. It is like having a conversation.
I had read his Musafir Cafe earlier and I like that better than Masala Chai. This maybe for my inherent preference to novels over short stories, to books that explore undefined relationships. But I also feel that Musafir Cafe is better edited than Masala Chai. I have already ordered Shartein Lagoo and preordered his next, “October Junction”, so more reviews will come up.
His books are getting translated into English, which is good for the English reading audience but I hope he doesn’t stop writing in Hindi.