Cosmopolitan: Faber Stories by Akhil Sharma

By Pamelascott

As he stood up, he suddenly felt aroused by Mrs Shaw's large breasts, boy's haircut, and little-girl sneakers. Even her nostrils suggested a frank sexuality. Gopal wanted to put his hands on her waist and pull her toward him. And then he realized that he had.

Gopal Maurya's wife has left him, preferring to seek enlightenment in an ashram in India. But when his neighbour comes to borrow his lawnmower, Gopal thinks he might find something similar right here in New Jersey. Armed with Cosmopolitan magazine as his bible, he embarks on a quest for suburban romance.

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A little after ten in the morning Mrs Shaw walked across Gopal Maurya's lawn to his house.

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(@FaberBooks, 3 January 2019, e-book, 30 pages, bought from @AmazonKindle)

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I liked this story a lot. It's quite funny at times as Gopal and Mrs Shaw find themselves having an affair, almost by accident after stumbling into each other's lives. I felt the portrayal of their relationship and the way it developed was realistic. They are lonely people who seek solace in each other.