The Woman Outside My Window by Saptaparnee Adhikary

Description

The Woman Outside My Window by Saptaparnee Adhikary

‘The Woman from the Window’ is a gothic psychological thriller, centering a 26-year-old social recluse, Clementine Carrington who is forced to move into her late aunt’s apartment, located in the sketchy manor of Youngman’s Villa, which was previously notorious as the Crowcrowned Manor. Inside she meets Mary, a 29-year-old aspiring actress with an eccentric personality and an even more eccentric taste in clothing; an 8-year-old French girl (people think she is the devil’s child and has killed her parents) and her cousin, a 34-year-old middle school maths teacher Painite Greystone who asks Clementine to teach Darcy English.

Here Clementine feels a strong sense of belonging, her new acquaintances are all outcasts like her.

Mary is judged for her bold attire and quirky style, especially by her own parents who rebuke her for her career choices, praising her perfect younger sister.

Painite is forced to take Darcy in by his aunt and uncle to pay off his debt, he looks like life has worn him down, he has been homeless and has struggled really hard to get back on his feet, he can play the violin, but nobody really cares because he is not handsome.

No orphanage wants to take Darcy because they think she’s cursed and unlucky.

One night Darcy runs off, while searching for her, Clementine encounters a horrific sight–a goo-filled tube with a body inside.

Soon after this Clementine starts seeing her mother again from the window of that apartment.

She questions her sanity, isolating herself so she wouldn’t be a bad influence on her unofficially adopted child Darcy.

This story explores Clementine navigating her mind, as she confronts her past and the guilt she carries from her mother’s suicide 18 years back.

Saptaparnee Adhikary

Saptaparnee Adhikary is a 16-year-old poet and novelist from West Bengal. She published her debut anthology, ‘Blooming Verses’, in 2022. She writes about outcasts navigating mental health issues and societal stigma. Find more about her poetry and novel on her Instagram @theoutcastwrites.