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When Tethers Fray
“A classic work of literary fiction that will compel you to reconsider everything you thought you knew about life, death, and your identity... When Tethers Fray is not a book you read for momentary pleasure... Rajiv Mittal is both a philosopher and a wordsmith—he paints vivid pictures, tears at the heartstrings, and demands reflection... The stories within challenge and unsettle... This is a novel that will leave its mark... Surely that qualifies it to hold a place among the works of the great masters.” —
Reedsy Discovery
What binds us? Duty, love, memory? And when those bonds begin to fray—what remains?
Uma, the head nurse of a hospice, has spent years tending to those in their final moments, witnessing lives shaped by quiet acts of devotion, regret, and resilience. She listens, sketches, writes—searching for meaning in the stories around her while struggling to define her own.
Within the hospice walls, lives intersect in quiet yet profound ways—marked by choices made, truths unspoken, and moments that linger beyond their passing. Susan, the pragmatic hospice head, weighs the delicate balance between care and 'knowing when to let go'. Mohan, the hospice accountant, meticulous and logical, sees duty as numbers on a spreadsheet.
And the An old man with a birthday card, kept for years, speaking of a bond severed but not forgotten. Wayne, caring for his wife, Martha, finds himself reaching for a past he cannot repair. Gary lingers in the shadow of his estranged brother, haunted by wounds still hurting. Rob, determined to dictate his own ending, resists surrender until even his willpower fails him. Leila, a mother leaving behind notes for the daughter she won’t see grow up. And Matt, gruff and guarded, finds himself unsettled by his terminally ill son's dog, Jerry.
As Uma observes, she begins to understand—these stories are not just endings, but echoes of what endures. And in witnessing them, she must finally face the truth of her own.
When Tethers Fray is a richly layered novel about the choices we make, the bonds we carry, and the quiet courage it takes to release them.
At its core, the novel is an intimate study of human connection. It captures the tender intricacies of relationships—the silent negotiations between love and duty, the weight of unspoken words, and the unrelenting pull of obligation. Through Uma and Mohan, the patients and their families, and the shifting tides of memory and regret, When Tethers Fray examines not just what it means to live, but what it means to be remembered.
Mortality is not just a backdrop but a crucible—a force that tests stories, roles, and truths. The characters wrestle with death not as an ending, but as a mirror to life itself, exposing fractures, questioning choices, and confronting the narratives they have built around themselves.
Duty, expectation, and identity are woven throughout—how we assign roles to ourselves, how we carry the weight of traditions and obligations, how we struggle between the need to belong and the urge to break free. When Tethers Fray is an exploration of the personal and the philosophical, of the way identities are shaped not just by who we are, but by what we are told we must be.
Above all, When Tethers Fray offers a unique lens on universal themes through the singular, intimate environment of a hospice.
What binds us? Duty, love, memory? And when those bonds begin to fray—what remains?
Uma, the head nurse of a hospice, has spent years tending to those in their final moments, witnessing lives shaped by quiet acts of devotion, regret, and resilience. She listens, sketches, writes—searching for meaning in the stories around her while struggling to define her own.
Within the hospice walls, lives intersect in quiet yet profound ways—marked by choices made, truths unspoken, and moments that linger beyond their passing. Susan, the pragmatic hospice head, weighs the delicate balance between care and 'knowing when to let go'. Mohan, the hospice accountant, meticulous and logical, sees duty as numbers on a spreadsheet.
And the An old man with a birthday card, kept for years, speaking of a bond severed but not forgotten. Wayne, caring for his wife, Martha, finds himself reaching for a past he cannot repair. Gary lingers in the shadow of his estranged brother, haunted by wounds still hurting. Rob, determined to dictate his own ending, resists surrender until even his willpower fails him. Leila, a mother leaving behind notes for the daughter she won’t see grow up. And Matt, gruff and guarded, finds himself unsettled by his terminally ill son's dog, Jerry.
As Uma observes, she begins to understand—these stories are not just endings, but echoes of what endures. And in witnessing them, she must finally face the truth of her own.
When Tethers Fray is a richly layered novel about the choices we make, the bonds we carry, and the quiet courage it takes to release them.
At its core, the novel is an intimate study of human connection. It captures the tender intricacies of relationships—the silent negotiations between love and duty, the weight of unspoken words, and the unrelenting pull of obligation. Through Uma and Mohan, the patients and their families, and the shifting tides of memory and regret, When Tethers Fray examines not just what it means to live, but what it means to be remembered.
Mortality is not just a backdrop but a crucible—a force that tests stories, roles, and truths. The characters wrestle with death not as an ending, but as a mirror to life itself, exposing fractures, questioning choices, and confronting the narratives they have built around themselves.
Duty, expectation, and identity are woven throughout—how we assign roles to ourselves, how we carry the weight of traditions and obligations, how we struggle between the need to belong and the urge to break free. When Tethers Fray is an exploration of the personal and the philosophical, of the way identities are shaped not just by who we are, but by what we are told we must be.
Above all, When Tethers Fray offers a unique lens on universal themes through the singular, intimate environment of a hospice.
361 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 26, 2025
About the author
Rajiv Mittal
9 books5 followersTen Years. Four Books. A Thousand Lives Lived.
A decade ago, I set out with 'Brahmahatya', a quiet, contemplative tale that explored guilt, grief, and redemption. Little did I know then that it was the beginning of a long and winding journey through genres, ideas, and—most importantly—myself.
Next came 'The Panchatheertha Part I', a bold, genre-defying leap into allegory and myth, where fable and philosophy met at uncertain crossroads. It was both a departure and a homecoming—a recognition that stories don't have to stay within fences.
Then 'The AI Who Questioned Everything' arrived, a novel that emerged from the fog of our present, where machines and meaning rub shoulders. Through its curious protagonist, I found myself asking uncomfortable questions about humanity, purpose, and the stories we tell ourselves to make sense of it all.
And now, 'When Tethers Fray'—a story born of hospice rooms and unspoken pain, where endings are beginnings in disguise. This is, perhaps, the most personal of all, not because it reflects my life, but because it demanded more honesty, more silence, and more surrender than anything that came before.
Different genres. Different voices. But one continuous search—for clarity, for connection, for the thread that runs through it all.
If writing has taught me anything, it's this: every character, every chapter, every flawed sentence is part of my journey. A way to observe. A way to grow. A way to love.
Thank you to everyone who has read, supported, challenged, or simply walked alongside me through these pages. The journey continues, but today, I pause to breathe.
And turn the page.
A decade ago, I set out with 'Brahmahatya', a quiet, contemplative tale that explored guilt, grief, and redemption. Little did I know then that it was the beginning of a long and winding journey through genres, ideas, and—most importantly—myself.
Next came 'The Panchatheertha Part I', a bold, genre-defying leap into allegory and myth, where fable and philosophy met at uncertain crossroads. It was both a departure and a homecoming—a recognition that stories don't have to stay within fences.
Then 'The AI Who Questioned Everything' arrived, a novel that emerged from the fog of our present, where machines and meaning rub shoulders. Through its curious protagonist, I found myself asking uncomfortable questions about humanity, purpose, and the stories we tell ourselves to make sense of it all.
And now, 'When Tethers Fray'—a story born of hospice rooms and unspoken pain, where endings are beginnings in disguise. This is, perhaps, the most personal of all, not because it reflects my life, but because it demanded more honesty, more silence, and more surrender than anything that came before.
Different genres. Different voices. But one continuous search—for clarity, for connection, for the thread that runs through it all.
If writing has taught me anything, it's this: every character, every chapter, every flawed sentence is part of my journey. A way to observe. A way to grow. A way to love.
Thank you to everyone who has read, supported, challenged, or simply walked alongside me through these pages. The journey continues, but today, I pause to breathe.
And turn the page.
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