Mithun Number Two and Other Mumbai Stories

Mithun Number Two and Other Mumbai Stories

No Presents Please is a brilliant collection of stories that captures the hopes, struggles and quiet moments of everyday life in Mumbai. Through deeply human narratives filled with emotion, humour and empathy, Jayant Kaikini explores migration, relationships, dreams and the unexpected connections that shape the lives of ordinary people.

📖 About the Book

Set against the vibrant and ever-changing landscape of Mumbai, No Presents Please brings together stories of people searching for opportunity, belonging and meaning in a city that constantly transforms lives. Young migrants arrive in Mumbai chasing dreams of work and a better future, while others navigate the complexities of family, relationships and survival.

These stories reveal moments of beauty hidden within ordinary routines. Strangers become friends, families face conflicts and affection, and children grow up in worlds where love, care and control often exist side by side. Through simple yet powerful storytelling, Kaikini captures the emotional landscapes of people living on the margins as well as those searching for purpose in a crowded metropolis.

Filled with melancholy yet illuminated by hope, these stories offer profound reflections on human resilience, loneliness, compassion and connection. Delightfully unexpected and deceptively simple, Jayant Kaikini’s writing brings unforgettable characters and intimate moments to life through Tejaswini Niranjana’s masterful translation.

This acclaimed collection comes from the same award-winning author-translator partnership behind No Presents Please, which won the prestigious DSC Prize for South Asian Literature in 2018.

✨ Key Highlights

• A moving collection of stories about Mumbai and the people who call it home.
• Explores themes of migration, dreams, relationships and human connection.
• Captures extraordinary moments hidden within everyday life.
• Written by award-winning Kannada author Jayant Kaikini.
• Translated with sensitivity and elegance by acclaimed translator Tejaswini Niranjana.
• From the team that won the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature in 2018.

✍️ About the Author

Jayant Kaikini is a celebrated Kannada poet, short-story writer, columnist, playwright, lyricist and screenplay writer. He received the Karnataka Sahitya Akademi Award for his debut poetry collection in 1974 at the age of nineteen, followed by several awards for his short-story collections.

Born in the coastal town of Gokarna, Kaikini trained as a biochemist and worked in the pharmaceutical industry in Mumbai for two decades before moving to Bengaluru. His literary works have earned him widespread recognition, including the Katha Award for Creative Fiction and the Kusumagraj National Literary Award.

He has also received the Karnataka State Award for Best Dialogue, the Karnataka State Award for Best Lyrics, and multiple Filmfare Awards for Best Lyrics. His acclaimed Kannada works include Anarkaliya Safety Pin and Vichitra Senana Vaikhari.

🌐 About the Translator

Tejaswini Niranjana is an award-winning translator, scholar and academic known for her work between Kannada and English. She received the Central Sahitya Akademi Prize for her translation of M. K. Indira’s Phaniyamma and the Karnataka Sahitya Akademi Prize for her translation of Niranjana’s Mrityunjaya.

She has translated works by several renowned writers, including Pablo Neruda’s poetry and Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar into Kannada. Her English translations include Vaidehi’s Gulabi Talkies.

She is the Director of the Centre for Inter-Asian Research at Ahmedabad University. Her translation of Jayant Kaikini’s Mumbai stories, No Presents Please, won the DSC South Asian Literature Prize in 2018.

📚 Why Read This Book?

No Presents Please is a beautifully crafted collection that celebrates the lives of ordinary people and the extraordinary emotions hidden within everyday experiences. With its compassionate storytelling, memorable characters and insightful portrayal of Mumbai’s diverse communities, this book offers a powerful reflection on hope, humanity and the connections that bring people together.