The stories in Sushant Supriye’s story-collection “ The Fifth Direction “ are a fine blend of fantasy, imagination and hard-boiled reality. The stories in this collection embrace various issues like injustice against Dalits and minorities, women’s...

The stories in Sushant Supriye’s story-collection “ The Fifth Direction “ are a fine blend of fantasy, imagination and hard-boiled reality. The stories in this collection embrace various issues like injustice against Dalits and minorities, women’s rights, father-son relationships, the scourge of communalism, unemployment and economic recession, etc. Some stories highlight the plight of men with integrity in today’s valueless and opportunistic society. Others explore the mind of criminals and the paranormal aspects. How mundane life makes us take intimate relationships for granted is also underlined in a few stories. Also, some stories are a fine study in psychology. Husband-wife relationships are explored with adeptness here. Sushant seems to have mastered the art of story-telling. His language is lucid and fluid and he has succeeded in capturing human emotions in vivid colours.