Rishi is a newcomer in the big city of Kathmandu, struggling to get by with history tutoring. Rootless and without prospects, he returns to the Communist Party (UML) and his hometown, where he is tasked with spying on a rival party during the election campaign. There, the young widow Binita tries to come to terms with a life on the fringes of society. To support herself, her young daughter, and a cousin, she runs a small tea shop, which draws the ire of her relatives. This key novel of contemporary Nepali literature is now available in paperback for the first time.