I was introduced to Bhavika Govil’s fiction in 2022 through the short story “Eggs Keep Falling from the Fourth Floor” in A Case of Indian Marvels: Dazzling Stories from the Country’s Finest New Writers (published by Aleph Book Company). Back then, I had called it a “of a deeply disturbed brain that forces the reader to confront the stigmas attached to mental health in our society.” It indeed was. I was thoroughly impressed by what I had read and Govil’s sensitive treatment of her protagonist, who is of unsound mind and often misunderstood.

A year later, I met Govil at the Jaipur Literature Festival, where at a party, she told me about her debut novel. Her manuscript had been accepted by the publisher and she already had a title for the book: Hot Water. It would be out in two years, and Govil was already excited about it. I promised to read…and write about it.

I’m glad I kept my promise.

There are moments in when the air feels too stuffy to breathe. Your skin feels sticky, and the saltiness of sweat fills your mouth. It feels like a painful, oppressive summer – not good news to those of us who live in India. Govil tackles this kind...