Ramanath, the morally weak but physically charming son of a poor but honest government clerk in Allahabad, marries the beautiful Jalpa, whose passion for jewellery involves him in increasingly complex financial and personal relationships, eventually leading to his apparent disgrace, and his flight from home. Shocked into the renunciation of all her finery, Jalpa discovers Ramanath’s whereabouts, only to learn that he has become the willing tool of the Calcutta police, who are bent on implicating innocent people to successfully conclude an unsolved robbery case. Her courageous appeals to his better nature finally bring about his redemption and their reunion. Gaban gives us a fascinating glimpse of North Indian society, and especially of the author’s own Kayasth community. The novel also serves to put forth his own deeply-held views of the ills of that society.
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