‘You can’t go home again’: Supernatural folklore entwines ordinary lives

Growing up in a South Asian society, infatuation with the supernatural and unknown has been a prominent feature of our childhood. Sarvat Hasin’s You Can’t Go Home Again draws inspiration from this and takes us to a time we used to exchange horror stories with our cousins and friends under the protection of our blankets in our dimly lit rooms.

The book seeks to constantly question ‘What are you afraid of?’ Is it the physical manifestation of witches and djinns or our inner demons which we continue to suppress? The overarching theme of paranormal and black magic, which is hinted and never overtly mentioned, ties in seven stories about a group of friends who have known each other since childhood.

The last line of the first story, Dark Room, “Years later in the dressing room of a different city, she will be trying on a blouse when It will find her, the churayl in her mirror,” will subconsciously creep in your mind the idea of a presence lurking about, which stays with you till the last page.

One of the characters, Rehan, describes his marriage as a "third person in the room with them” — a similar experience is evoked while reading the book. The reader and author are never alone as traces of a third entity seep in through the pages. 

The six protagonists, who are the sons and daughters of politicians, army officers, and business magnates, lead privileged lives. However, the cracks in their seemingly perfect lives appear from the very start. A mysterious disappearance at the start of the novel shapes the characters’ lives around it. Years after the incident, it still continues to evoke fear in the minds of these characters.

The narrative, which flows through past and present, gives us a glimpse into the significant events in the lives of the main characters. A mother who vanishes from time to time, a marriage without passion, an intimate reunion, inexplicable marks on a body, a fling with gym instructor, an unpredictable wedding, acting out a play, and a shocking death — all these events bind the characters together who are based in different parts of the world. 

All in all, You Can’t Go Home Again is a compelling yet haunting tale of nostalgia, friendship, love and supernatural allure.