CASSETTE, written by Ajay Shankar Kar, is a poignant coming-of-age literary mystery that explores grief, memory, first love, family secrets, and the enduring bond between a father and son.
The story follows Adwik, a Class 9 student who loses his father during the COVID-19 pandemic. While going through his father’s old trunk, Adwik discovers a worn diary and an audio cassette recorded decades earlier. The cassette contains a message connected to a mysterious girl from his father’s school days, whose name is never revealed.
Driven by curiosity and questions he never had the chance to ask his father; Adwik begins searching for the woman behind the voice. What starts with quiet family conversations and fragments of forgotten school memories gradually becomes a deeper journey into his father’s past. As Adwik listens, rewinds, and deciphers the cassette for clues, he uncovers layers of love, silence, secrets, and family history.
But finding the woman his father never forgot may reveal truths Adwik is not prepared to face.
CASSETTE is ultimately a moving exploration of how grief can lead to discovery, and how understanding the past can help us heal and understand ourselves.
Genre: Coming-of-Age | Literary Mystery | Family Drama
Age Group: Young Adults 13+ and Adults