Whispers from Tokyo: Loss and Longing

By Shubhadip Mishra

In the shadowed recesses of Tokyo, a metropolis pulsing with life and neon, lies a mystery that defies the
passage of time: Room 4 of an unassuming share house. "Whispers from Tokyo: Loss and Longing" draws
readers into a captivating diary entry of Rishi, a young scholar from Kolkata, who crosses continents to
find himself caught up in a spectral enigma rooted in decades of history and heartache. As Rishi delves
deeper, he discovers the haunting story of the "woman in white", bound by the horrors of war and the
enduring ache of loss, and realizes that the path to understanding her secrets intertwines with his own
journey of discovery. With the help of Hina, a fellow classmate and granddaughter of the landlord, they
embark on a quest that transcends the boundaries between the seen and the unseen. In the city's ceaseless
heartbeat, where the living and dead coexist, they seek to unlock Room 4's secrets, the enduring power of
the spirit echoing in the haunting refrain that calls to those brave enough to heed its siren's song. Set
against the backdrop of Tokyos vibrant energy, "Whispers from Tokyo: Loss and Longing" reveals the
horrific heartache of war, where civilians and young soldiers are unwitting pawns in a tragedy unfolding
far from the eyes of those who command it. Through Rishis journey of discovery, the story unfolds,
illuminating the interconnectedness of past and present, and the enduring power of the human spirit to
endure, even in the face of unimaginable suffering.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Book rivers
• Release date: May 15, 2024
• ISBN: 9789358427073

Book preview

Shubhadip Mishra

Published By: Book Rivers  

Website: www.bookrivers.com

Email: [e-mail]

Mobile: [phone]

Address: HN 22 Kanchan Nagar Maickale Lucknow 226022

1ST Edition: 2024

MRP: 149/-INR

ISBN: 978-93-5842-707-3

Copyright© : Shubhadip Mishra

All Rights Reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted or stored in a retrieval system, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the author.

[PRINTED IN INDIA]

Disclaimer: This work is a product of fiction. Any resemblance to actual companies, brands, organizations, people, places, or events is entirely coincidental. The names of individuals, locations, and other entities depicted in this work are fictitious. No association with any real company, brand, organization, person, place, or event is intended or should be inferred.

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In honour of the brave children forced to grow up too soon

whose laughter was silenced by the echoes of war

[]

Whispers from Tokyo

Loss and Longing

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I

t was one of those Tokyo evenings that you read about in novels, where the rain transforms the city into a canvas of reflections, blurring the lines between reality and something a bit magical. I was there, lost in the rhythm of the raindrops and the neon lights, when the skies decided to open up properly. Caught off guard and without an umbrella, I ducked into what appeared to be one of Jimbocho’s many quaint bookstores tucked away between the more prominent shops, hoping to maybe find the JLPT prep book I needed.

The place looked nothing like the modern bookstores I was accustomed to; it was an old, musty shop crammed with books that seemed to whisper tales of the past. While scanning the shelves for any JLPT books, my eyes landed on a worn-out diary among a pile of old literature. It seemed oddly out of place. The shopkeeper, an elderly man with a gentle demeanour, noticed my interest. Ah, that’s been here longer than I can remember, he said with a chuckle, pushing it towards me as if he had already decided it was meant to be mine.

Curious, I opened it and found the name Rishi Bose scrawled on the first page. Just then, the shopkeeper leaned in closer and said, That young man had a story to tell. Said he wanted it to find someone who’d appreciate it. Maybe someone like you, caught in the rain and looking for answers in a book. voice was soft but carried a weight that made me pause.    

I laughed, a bit nervously, I was actually looking for a JLPT prep book, not ghost stories. But as I flipped through the pages, Rishi’s words about his encounters in Tokyo, his thoughts, and his adventures pulled me in. It felt like fate here I was, stressed about an exam, and I stumble upon a diary that captured the essence of living and experiencing Tokyo in ways I hadn’t imagined.

Deciding to take the diary with me, I joked with the shopkeeper, Well, if I fail my JLPT, I’m blaming this distraction. He just smiled, a knowing look in his eyes, as if to say this diary was more important than any exam.

Walking back into the rain, diary in hand, the streets of Tokyo seemed different, as if I was about to uncover a new layer of the city through Rishi’s eyes. His journey, chronicled in the diary, felt like a shared adventure, a reminder that sometimes, the most meaningful stories are found when and where we least expect them.

Sharing Rishi’s story now, through Whispers from Tokyo: Loss and Longing, feels like keeping a promise to that unexpected encounter in the old bookshop. It shows the unexpected and happy surprises of living in Tokyo, the connections we make, and the stories that shape us. It’s funny how life works— going in for a JLPT prep book and walking out with a piece of someone’s heart. Tokyo, with all its lights and shadows, now holds a new meaning for me, and hopefully, for you too, through the pages of this diary.

April 10th, 2017,

T

okyo is nothing like I imagined, and yet everything I’d hoped it would be. Descending into the city was like diving into a sea of lights, a vast neon maze hinting at countless secrets and new experiences to be uncovered. My heart, a solitary traveller amidst the weary bodies of my fellow passengers, raced with an excitement that seemed foreign in this land of structured calm. Pressing my face against the cold window, I drank in every detail, every flicker of life below, as if trying to memorize a dream I feared I’d forget upon waking. The journey had been long, filled with layovers and restless anticipation, yet the sight my boarding pass was a constant reminder of the unique path I was about to tread.

Embarking on my journey as a MEXT scholar, I carried with me much more than mere luggage. In each suitcase and each carefully packed item, there lay the heavy weight of expectations, the bright hopes of my family, and the colourful dreams I had nurtured within my heart. Leaving Kolkata, I was wrapped