Real Life by Amrita Mahale is a hauntingly evocative literary mystery set in the remote Mahamaya Valley in the Himalayas, where the disappearance of wildlife biologist Tara sets off a deeply layered investigation. As her best friend Mansi retraces Tara’s steps, she uncovers a trail of unsettling truths and lingering silences. The primary suspect, Bhaskar, sits in custody, his obsession with Tara exposed through a tangled narrative of contradictions and ambiguity. But the mystery runs deeper than one man’s account. The valley itself—at once a tranquil backpacker haven and a site of clashing realities—holds secrets of its own. Here, the eternal and the fleeting coexist, nature confronts the digital age, and women’s voices are too often dismissed or erased. Through lyrical prose and an unflinching gaze, Real Life transcends the confines of a conventional mystery to become a powerful meditation on love, loss, autonomy, and the complex interplay between visibility and erasure in a world shaped by AI, surveillance, and societal expectation. In a time defined by conformity and control, Mahale’s novel asks a searing question: what does it truly mean for a woman to live an authentic life?

Amrita Mahale is an acclaimed Indian novelist and aerospace engineer. Born in Mumbai and raised across five Indian cities, she brings a unique sensitivity to place and character in her writing. Her debut novel, Milk Teeth (2018), was longlisted for the JCB Prize for Literature and shortlisted for the Crossword Book Award for Fiction, earning critical praise for its sharp observations and elegant style. A graduate of IIT Bombay and Stanford University, Mahale’s background in engineering informs her analytical depth, while her literary voice has established her as one of the most compelling storytellers in contemporary Indian fiction. Real Life further cements her reputation, offering readers a novel that is both intellectually provocative and emotionally resonant.