Book excerpt: 'On one side, the sea. On the other, the city. A city that seemed to believe that the Queen's Necklace was enough past for it, a city sacrificing its beauty at the dirty altars of money.' An acclaimed contemporary Marathi novel, Half-Open Windows (Khidkya Ardhya Ughadya) is a striking portrait of India's urban upper middle class on an obsessive quest for riches and prestige. Set in the enticing yet treacherous city of Mumbai, it closely follows the lives of people connected to SNA Architects, an up-and-coming firm, basking in the glory of their recent success--a high-rise in the premium area of Colaba. As events unfold, we encounter the corrupt and ruthless Niranjan, founder of SNA, and his associate, Nita, who think bribery is a small price to pay to get to the top; another founder of SNA, the honest but naIve Sanika, and Shushrut, an aspiring writer who is no longer content to play her stay-at-home partner; an NGO worker, Swarupa, torn between her loyalty to an old friend and her duty as a whistle-blower; a lonely widow, Joshi Kaku, who wonders if moving to the US to live with her son and his family--with whom she can forge no connections--is a wise idea; and Ramakant, a young student of architecture, who is contemplating suicide in a desperate bid for attention. Even as this diverse cast of characters chases happiness and success, Mumbai emerges as the central character--the driving force behind their aspirations and dreams, and their ethical compromises. Combining sharp observation with dry humour, Ganesh Matkari provides rich insights into the human psyche. His compelling prose and Jerry Pinto's pitch-perfect translation make Half-Open Windows an unputdownable read.