The Poison of Love

'An intense, dramatic novel written in spare, well-crafted prose . . . A deep, dark tale' The Hindu

When Tulsi first meets Madhav, she is irrevocably drawn to his chiselled good looks and charm. Although wary of his many dalliances and the string of broken hearts left in his wake, she is surprised by the intense desire that Madhav arouses in her. And before long, she forsakes her family, her prospective career, her fiancé-all for the love of this inscrutable man.
But love can be like poison. Years later, Tulsi escapes to the ancient city of Vrindavan, seeking redemption amidst the cries and prayers of its anguished widows. However, when her past catches up with her, old wounds resurface with dramatic consequences.

'Enthralling . . . disturbing . . . A book that resonates powerfully with some of our most primal impulses-a consuming love, a corrosive hatred, a need for vengeance' Indian Express

'A novella [of] so much intensity . . . Ministhy is new to translating K.R. Meera but manages to wring out each drop of obsession' Outlook

'Written with such breathless energy and foreboding that you can barely put the book down . . . A masterpiece in miniature' The Hindu BusinessLine

Ministhy S. is an IAS officer working in the Uttar Pradesh cadre. She translates between three languages: English, Malayalam and Hindi. Her translation of The Poison of Love by Malayalam novelist K.R. Meera was longlisted for the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2017 and The Unseeing Idol of Light by the same author was shortlisted for the Crossword Book Jury Awards in 2018