Small towns and cities mean different things to different people. To a big-city dweller visiting for the weekend, it can be a place to lose\u2014or find\u2014oneself; a place to rejuvenate and invigorate. For someone who hails from a small town, it can mean getting in touch with one\u2019s roots. To those who inhabit these spaces permanently, they signify something still more different. A small town might mean warmth and safety, but it can just as easily be a stifling presence to escape. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whatever their effect, there’s no doubt that these in-between spaces make perfect breeding ground for stories. The term \u201cmofussil,\u201d used for places outside the major metropolitan cities in India, expresses the intricacies of these locations perfectly. These mofussil spaces can be small towns where everyone knows everyone’s business, where anonymity is impossible and the bonds of community are still strong. On the other hand, it can also refer to the tier-2and tier-3 cities\u2014once smaller, they now sprawl in all directions, rapidly re-inventing themselves. None of these spaces are silent backgrounds. They are active presences that shape the lives and histories of their people, particularly in a country like India. Perhaps this is why stories set away from the major Indian cities are becoming popular with global audiences. The latest example of this subtle shift is the success of the film Homebound<\/em>, which was on the shortlist for Best International Feature Film at the 2026 Oscars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The following seven novels are set in these twilight places spread across the length and breadth of the country. Whether it’s the Himalayas looming in the background or the sea on the edge of the town, a place in the terai or a dusty town hard to find on the map\u2014these places make for stories worth telling, sometimes acting as catalysts, sometimes as accomplices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n