In the idyllic village of the Abode of Contentment, Durga and her little brother, Opu, grow up in a world of woods, orchards and adventure. Nurtured on their aunt's songs and stories, they dream of secret magical lands, forbidden gardens and the distant railroad. The grown-up world of debts, resentment and bone-deep poverty barely touches them. Their parents, Shorbojoya and Horihor, also dream of the railroad, though as the gateway to lands with a better future. But can distance really change destiny? Will the railroad augur a triumphant future for the Roys, or a ballad of fates drastically altered? A powerful testament to the indomitable human will to prevail, this timeless novel comes alive in an incandescent new translation. Rimi translates classic and and speculative fiction from Bangla to English. Her forthcoming works include Sunil Gangopadhyay's The Adventures of Kakababu , volumes II and III, Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay's Pather Panchali and Acharya Kshitimohan Sen's United in Prayer . She also takes a keen interest in the goings-on of stray animals, and can often be spotted on the streets of Bombay courting new canine acquaintances.