Pishima is seventy years old. As a twelve-year-old girl she had become a widow and till that moment was living her life imprisoned in the home of the aristocratic Mitra family. Traditional golden jewelry is the only joy in her life.
Eighteen-year-old Somlata has just married into the family of Mitras. One day she came across the dead Pishima, who ordered Somlata to hide her beloved gold. The girl is the only one who sees and hears Pishima, and the ghost does not want anyone to get their hands on her wealth. This event become a turning point in the life of the whole family. Somlata hid jewelry although all members of Mitra family struggle with huge financial problems, filling holes in budget with the sale of familial gold and land. However, seeing how difficult the situation is for her new relatives, she decided to start a business with her husband – something unheard of for Mitras, who pride themselves on the fact that they do not work.
Boshon is a melancholy teenager who loves books, her scooter and loneliness. She rejects any proposal. Boshon lives on the floor once occupied by Pishima and is said to look very much like her. . One day she is gifted with old-fashioned gold jewelry…
The Aunt Who Wouldn’t Die is a Bengali novel that you will read in one sitting. The author, Shirshenda Mukhopadhyay, weaves the story of three generations of women, telling about their dreams, passions and willpower. The book was screened in 2013 as Goynar Baksho by Aparna Sen with Konkona Sen Sharma as Somlata.
