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THE LABYRINTH OF SILENCE
In the relaxed, slow-moving town of Tilakwadi, Belgaum, three lives are intricately woven together by the most enigmatic force of all- silence. 'The Labyrinth of Silence', follows the captivating journey of three people. Girish, the contemplative architect haunted by the ghosts of his past. Muki, a vibrant but mute girl, seeking solace amidst life's chaos. Kashi, who falls into Girish’s lap as his daughter, only to discover otherwise.
As Belgaum, the city thriving on the borders of Karnataka and Maharashtra, finds itself ensnared in a socio-political turmoil of the late 90s, the three characters grapple with their personal demons. Girish discovers a new realm of creativity within his quietude, unearthing emotions he had long since buried. Muki, once engulfed in the cacophony of the world, finds herself drawn to the tranquillity that silence offers, whereas Kashi embarks on a journey of self-discovery and truth.
Through the lives of Girish, Muki, and Kashi, this book serves as a wonderful reminder that sometimes, the most meaningful conversations are the ones that are never spoken.
As Belgaum, the city thriving on the borders of Karnataka and Maharashtra, finds itself ensnared in a socio-political turmoil of the late 90s, the three characters grapple with their personal demons. Girish discovers a new realm of creativity within his quietude, unearthing emotions he had long since buried. Muki, once engulfed in the cacophony of the world, finds herself drawn to the tranquillity that silence offers, whereas Kashi embarks on a journey of self-discovery and truth.
Through the lives of Girish, Muki, and Kashi, this book serves as a wonderful reminder that sometimes, the most meaningful conversations are the ones that are never spoken.
207 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 25, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 9, 2026
While I immensely enjoyed reading this little book, what stayed with me long after I finished reading was the setting. The story unfolds in early 90s amidst socio-political turmoil in Tilakwadi, Belgaum in Karnataka and captures the finer details of small town living with its simple people and how the seemingly quiet and serene lives hold very deep and dark secrets.
While the book navigates through some heavy themes, what stands out is the easy narrative that doesn't waver from the central plot. Torn between abuse, love and loyalty, a little girl finds her true self and by the end all you want to do is hold the girl closer to you.
Read it, feel it.
While the book navigates through some heavy themes, what stands out is the easy narrative that doesn't waver from the central plot. Torn between abuse, love and loyalty, a little girl finds her true self and by the end all you want to do is hold the girl closer to you.
Read it, feel it.
August 4, 2024
Having enjoyed the novella ‘Not So Grave’ I was happy to check out “The Labyrinth of Silence” by Aparna Salvi Nagada. While ‘Not So Grave’ was a satirical take on life after death, her latest novel is a deep dive into the life of Muki, aptly named for the silence surrounding her. The characters are very well written, and so is the subtle take on such topics as Niyog, child abuse, and suicide. I especially loved the setting of Belgaum and the inter-state tensions that served as a background to most of the novel.
The novel follows a mute girl, Muki, and her relationship with the big house she works for, the secret admiration she feels for the young master of the house, and the avid adoration towards his wife which shapes her future finally. Muki’s story flows like a gentle river, wanting to cause hindrance to no one, finally finding refuge in an ending she couldn’t have envisioned in the beginning. But it’s not just Muki who stays with the reader long after the book is over. Muki’s silence is an obvious one from the very first while the others’ silence is more shattering - the thunderous silence Narmada is forced into, her secrets rattling loudly inside her; the unnatural silence that surrounds Girish, binding him from crying out, and the ominous silence of Kusum. The only one in direct contrast to the others is the hope of the future, Kaashi, the youngest member of the house, who promises to break free of all the invisible bonds her family is restrained in, her youthful hope and loudness, a tribute to Muki.
Aparna’s writing is quite lyrical, poetic, and soothing to read.
“The waters, Girish realised, still or turbulent, have immense potential. They are pathbreakers. They are dragons that eat up villages and messiahs that sprout out fields.”
The novel follows a mute girl, Muki, and her relationship with the big house she works for, the secret admiration she feels for the young master of the house, and the avid adoration towards his wife which shapes her future finally. Muki’s story flows like a gentle river, wanting to cause hindrance to no one, finally finding refuge in an ending she couldn’t have envisioned in the beginning. But it’s not just Muki who stays with the reader long after the book is over. Muki’s silence is an obvious one from the very first while the others’ silence is more shattering - the thunderous silence Narmada is forced into, her secrets rattling loudly inside her; the unnatural silence that surrounds Girish, binding him from crying out, and the ominous silence of Kusum. The only one in direct contrast to the others is the hope of the future, Kaashi, the youngest member of the house, who promises to break free of all the invisible bonds her family is restrained in, her youthful hope and loudness, a tribute to Muki.
Aparna’s writing is quite lyrical, poetic, and soothing to read.
“The waters, Girish realised, still or turbulent, have immense potential. They are pathbreakers. They are dragons that eat up villages and messiahs that sprout out fields.”
May 13, 2026
The Labyrinth of Silence is set in the small village of Tilakwadi on the borders of Maharashtra and Karnataka. The caste, state and linguistic divides tear at the core of this novel which depicts the personal lives of the Kulkarni family equally besieged by the child abuse and trauma that the protagonist Girish has faced.
Girish’s mother, the formidable matriarch of the family has suffered at the hands of her fate but that should not have absolved her from the sin of not protecting her son’s innocence and childhood. That she fails to do so mires the characters in a maze of silence.
The same silence is imposed upon Girish’s wife, Narmada, but she refuses to remain silent about it and takes into confidence her servant cum friend, Muki (Mukta). Muki, the mute girl knows only two languages, the sign language and the language of unconditional love.
The trio, Girish, Muki and Kashi form the semblance of a family till Kusum chooses to shatter Kahis’s world by telling her the unnerving truth about her birth. Intrigued by an identity crisis, Kashi goes in quest of this search to Benares, only to return with the conviction that she has only one family, waiting for her at Tilakwadi.
This novel is the perfect example of the idiom, “Silence speaks volumes.” The silence becomes deafening, threatening to burst at the seams. The language is full of metaphors drawn from nature especially the seasonal cycles and the garden and orchards. The language echoes what each character is going through in their minds.
The book is a page turner, though emotionally intensely charged. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in the generational curse that a single childhood trauma can bring about in one’s life.
Girish’s mother, the formidable matriarch of the family has suffered at the hands of her fate but that should not have absolved her from the sin of not protecting her son’s innocence and childhood. That she fails to do so mires the characters in a maze of silence.
The same silence is imposed upon Girish’s wife, Narmada, but she refuses to remain silent about it and takes into confidence her servant cum friend, Muki (Mukta). Muki, the mute girl knows only two languages, the sign language and the language of unconditional love.
The trio, Girish, Muki and Kashi form the semblance of a family till Kusum chooses to shatter Kahis’s world by telling her the unnerving truth about her birth. Intrigued by an identity crisis, Kashi goes in quest of this search to Benares, only to return with the conviction that she has only one family, waiting for her at Tilakwadi.
This novel is the perfect example of the idiom, “Silence speaks volumes.” The silence becomes deafening, threatening to burst at the seams. The language is full of metaphors drawn from nature especially the seasonal cycles and the garden and orchards. The language echoes what each character is going through in their minds.
The book is a page turner, though emotionally intensely charged. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in the generational curse that a single childhood trauma can bring about in one’s life.
October 2, 2024
THE LABYRINTH OF SILENCE, Dr. Aparna Salve Nagda's second novel, delves into the complexities of silence within the lives of three characters: Muki, Girish, and Kashi. Set in the town of Tilakwadi, Belgaum, the book reveals a fourth, omnipresent character: silence itself.
While some are born without a voice, others willingly embrace it. Have you ever thought about the why behind it?
Driven by FEAR—of ostracism, further damage, or tarnishing reputation—individuals retreat into silence. Power dynamics, social hierarchies, and the dread of exclusion amplify this retreat.
Dr Aparna explores the multifaceted nature of silence. It serves as a coping mechanism during emotional turmoil, a defence against trauma, and a means of mental preservation under stress.
Silence is not just the refusal to speak. It’s also the REFUSAL TO THINK. It is the power of the mind to suppress emotions and stay afloat.
Silence becomes a purposeful choice as it gives the individual the right to choose to be silent. This creates a SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT by pushing away everyone from the self.
SELF-PRESERVATION THROUGH SILENCE forms a key essence in this book.
It also reveals how silence is used as a WEAPON FOR OPPRESSION AND REGRESSION.
However, this silence is a double-edged sword. It can become a prison, isolating individuals and pushing away those who care. The book emphasizes the paradoxical power of silence, demonstrating its ability to both protect and harm.
Ultimately, Dr. Nagda reveals silence as a force more potent than words, capable of shaping lives and relationships in profound ways.
Pls pick up this book and give it a read!
While some are born without a voice, others willingly embrace it. Have you ever thought about the why behind it?
Driven by FEAR—of ostracism, further damage, or tarnishing reputation—individuals retreat into silence. Power dynamics, social hierarchies, and the dread of exclusion amplify this retreat.
Dr Aparna explores the multifaceted nature of silence. It serves as a coping mechanism during emotional turmoil, a defence against trauma, and a means of mental preservation under stress.
Silence is not just the refusal to speak. It’s also the REFUSAL TO THINK. It is the power of the mind to suppress emotions and stay afloat.
Silence becomes a purposeful choice as it gives the individual the right to choose to be silent. This creates a SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT by pushing away everyone from the self.
SELF-PRESERVATION THROUGH SILENCE forms a key essence in this book.
It also reveals how silence is used as a WEAPON FOR OPPRESSION AND REGRESSION.
However, this silence is a double-edged sword. It can become a prison, isolating individuals and pushing away those who care. The book emphasizes the paradoxical power of silence, demonstrating its ability to both protect and harm.
Ultimately, Dr. Nagda reveals silence as a force more potent than words, capable of shaping lives and relationships in profound ways.
Pls pick up this book and give it a read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2024
The Labyrinth of Silence is an emotional roller coaster set in a small town of Tilakwadi, Belgaum. The cover makes is pretty obvious that the book is not going to be a light read. The prose is divided into three voices of Muki, the mute servant girl, Girish the recluse and Kashi, the daughter of the Kulkarni family.
The author has penned characters that leave you with extreme feelings. There is one common thread binding all of them and that is their self-inflicted silence on all the goings on in their not-so-perfect world. I typically do not read books about child abuse but the author has depicted this unfortunate reality with the gravitas that it deserves.
The other central concept of the book is niyog- the act of bearing children through another man when your partner is incapable of fathering children. The author has handled the topic of niyog beautifully in this narrative. The pathos of all the characters is palpable. I lost it when Kusum tells Kashi what she does towards the end of the book but then that's just Kusum being Kusum. You can feel the despair and loss of innocence in each page. The metaphors are strikingly beautiful. The writer takes you through the bylanes of Tilakwadi, Manikarnika ghats and Karakoram valleys with all the ups and downs of an emotional roller coaster.
In the end, you are left hoping to find the pedha in the black box, which the author delivers. Quite a sad story that shows the reality of an imperfect household with scattered rays of optimism. Definitely worth a read!
The author has penned characters that leave you with extreme feelings. There is one common thread binding all of them and that is their self-inflicted silence on all the goings on in their not-so-perfect world. I typically do not read books about child abuse but the author has depicted this unfortunate reality with the gravitas that it deserves.
The other central concept of the book is niyog- the act of bearing children through another man when your partner is incapable of fathering children. The author has handled the topic of niyog beautifully in this narrative. The pathos of all the characters is palpable. I lost it when Kusum tells Kashi what she does towards the end of the book but then that's just Kusum being Kusum. You can feel the despair and loss of innocence in each page. The metaphors are strikingly beautiful. The writer takes you through the bylanes of Tilakwadi, Manikarnika ghats and Karakoram valleys with all the ups and downs of an emotional roller coaster.
In the end, you are left hoping to find the pedha in the black box, which the author delivers. Quite a sad story that shows the reality of an imperfect household with scattered rays of optimism. Definitely worth a read!
May 25, 2024
"Silence is golden". But is silence blissful even when forced upon someone? The author Aparna Salvi Nagda unravels the mystery of silence in her book "The Labyrinth of Silence". Through the interlaced lives of Girish, Muki and Kashi with silence being one of the golden links, she explores the dark corners of the mirthful term.
With a picturesque narration, poetic metaphors and soul stirring dialogues the author etches the characters in the minds of the readers.
Some of the lines that made a profound impact on me.
"The best stories are the ones that are yet to be written".
The beautiful sunrise - Had anyone consulted the sun whether it wished to be aroused from its slumber
In the grinding, sticking mulch of life Muki is Venky's swaying paddy .
Take a sneak peek into the lives of Girish, Muki and Kashi and experience the nitty gritty's of embracing silence.
With a picturesque narration, poetic metaphors and soul stirring dialogues the author etches the characters in the minds of the readers.
Some of the lines that made a profound impact on me.
"The best stories are the ones that are yet to be written".
The beautiful sunrise - Had anyone consulted the sun whether it wished to be aroused from its slumber
In the grinding, sticking mulch of life Muki is Venky's swaying paddy .
Take a sneak peek into the lives of Girish, Muki and Kashi and experience the nitty gritty's of embracing silence.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews