Kirti Mutatkar and Smitha Rau discuss Vivek Shanbhag's slim but powerful novella about a family transformed by sudden wealth. The Story: A modest Indian family lives within their means—the father is a salesman, they eat out weekly, and if the kids want something extra, dad suddenly won't have coffee. When money arrives, everything changes. This 70-130 page novella, originally written in Kannada, follows the family's moral unraveling through an unnamed narrator's eyes. The Title: "Ghachar Ghochar" is a made-up family word meaning tangled up—not clean or clear. The title captures everything: the story, relationships, and ambiguous ending all remain tangled. Key Themes: Money's Corrupting Power - "It's not we who control money, it's the money that controls us. When there's only a little, it behaves meekly. When it grows, it becomes brash and has its way with us." The sister changes most—gaining "clout," treating people poorly, leaving her decent husband, returning with goons to steal jewelry. "The suddenly rich start holding an umbrella in the moonlight." Narrator as Unreliable Participant - He tells the story as if he did everything right, but readers catch his complicity. He's uncomfortable—his wife judges him for not working—but he doesn't change. His honeymoon gifts fall flat when she realizes it's not his money. The Ant Metaphor - The mother wages war on kitchen ants, eliminating anything threatening family enjoyment. Later, the narrator squishes ants; his wife is horrified. This foreshadows how the family treats bigger "problems"—possibly a dog, possibly people. Nothing is explicit. No Clean Ending - The book is decidedly "ghochar"—tangled with no resolution. At the end, Vincent the waiter says: "Sir, you want to wash your hand? There's blood on it." Literal or figurative? Did something terrible happen? "Accidents happen, right?" The ambiguity haunts. KBC Book Radar: Brain Fizz Factor: 4-4.5 out of 5 - Deceptively simple but deeply layered Bookshelf Worthy: High - Smitha read it 3 times; short enough to reread, rich enough to deserve it Why Read: Only 70-130 pages—can finish in one session. Easy, relatable, readable. But don't mistake simplicity for shallowness. Rewards rereading and discussion. Rich themes about wealth, morality, family, and complicity. A masterclass in saying everything by saying nothing explicitly. Credits: Host and Creator: Kirti Mutatkar Guest: Smitha Rau Show Editor: Aniket Mutatkar Logo & Design: Smitha Rau