Sati

by Nisha Mehraj

This is a story of a struggling hawker and his family. Uncommunicative and distant, they each escape into their own private worlds in search of peace and release. Salim, the husband, harbours a secret passion for the Bollywood actress Sridevi. Rina, a housewife, devotes herself to her religion and caring for her older sister. Their daughter Noori, is determined to be allowed to take over Salim’s mee goreng stall one day while their son Kabir, plots a life away from home, no longer wanting to be part of their small painful lives. 


To survive their tortured existence, they feed off their emotions; using them as fuel to fight against poverty and one another. In a desperate attempt to save his business, Salim promises Noori’s hand in marriage to a holy man twice her age. Unaware of her husband’s plan, Rina loses herself in a new friendship that makes her question everything she has built her life upon. Noori’s urgency to prove herself is suddenly stymied by a mystery illness and Kabir is brutally punished for chasing change. As their selfish pursuits threaten the lives of those around them, tensions mount. If salvation lies in sacrifice, who amongst them will willingly give up their dreams for the sake of family?

336 pages, Paperback

Expected publication January 12, 2027

About the author

Nisha Mehraj left full-time teaching and became a private tutor so she could pursue writing. The only home she has ever known is Singapore, yet she lives vicariously through her characters and escapes into the safety of the worlds she creates. The many strong women she has met and read about, and her own grandmother’s determination to raise her three daughters as independent thinking women, taught her to have ambitions and gave her the courage to dream. Her short story “Chai” was published in Mascara Literary Review in 2012. We Do Not Make Love Here is her first novel.

Reviews

[Tess Blanch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came across the author with her debut book, which is a finalist of 2022 Epigram Book Fiction Prize in Singapore. And I’m glad I discovered her books.

Sati is about a family struggling to live and escape the realities of the world they live in. Salim the husband and father, is in love with a Bollywood actress Sridevi and finds his family a burden. Aside from taking care of her family, Rina the wife and mother, devotes her time in taking careof her older sister. Noori, the daughter, is determined to take over their family’s mee goreng stall which her father is against with. And there is Kabir, the son, who plans to get away from his family as soon he is able and not wanting anything to do with them. Each family member has their own selfish pursuits that somehow will impact those around them. One has to give up their dreams for the sake of the family, as their salvation lies in their sacrifices.


All characters are unlikable and have their own issues in life. This is about family relationships between mother and daughter/son, brother and sister, father and son/daughter. The dynamics between the family members are not ideal. It feels like one member has to do better or outdo each other one in order for them to get better in life. I find this different from the Singaporean family setting that I know of. I appreciate the author’s giving the readers a glimpse of the everyday life of a different version of family dynamics. Though I’m quite surprised with the some of the scenes or dialogue that goes into the story, not sure why maybe because it is not what I expected. The plot of the story is a bit confusing at times but I am always pulled right back. Finally, the ending is my favorite part. I feel that Rina finally gets justice, and the life she deserves with her sister and children.


Sati is now available, under Penguin SEA and looking forward to Mehraj future works!