Visitors to the House: A Novel in Five Parts

At the centre of the novel is a cottage in the mountains near Didoli. The peaceful surroundings—trees, birds, wind and a stream in the gorge—create a setting that feels separated from ordinary life.

Five visitors enter this world, and each brings a different kind of story. Their backgrounds and personalities are very different, but their lives gradually become intertwined.

Shashank Gupta is an Indian author whose professional journey has included several different careers.

According to his author biography, Gupta initially pursued a PhD in horticulture, then moved into farming. After several years as a full-time farmer, he moved into advertising, where he spent almost three decades as a Creative Director. He later returned to his interest in books and writing

The story begins in the quiet mountain town of Didoli, where a cottage stands away from the main town. The narrator describes the natural surroundings and the peaceful isolation of the house.

The house becomes connected with five visitors, each of whom has an unusual and memorable identity.

One is Vurf, a mongrel whose personality and story give the novel an unusual perspective. Another visitor is a spirit carrying a message for a stepdaughter, introducing an element of the supernatural.