According to Mary Lago in the introduction to the English translation of
Nashtanir (translated by Lago and Supriya Sen), the novella was released three times: in 1901 in serial format, in 1909 as part of a special short story collection, and in 1926 as part of Tagore's standard collection of fiction (p. 9). Scholarship indicates that this story might have been based upon the relationship between Tagore's elder brother
Jyotirindranath; his brother's wife,
Kadambari Devi (who committed suicide shortly after Tagore's marriage); and Tagore (who spent a great deal of time with Kadambari, reading and writing poetry). ==Plot summary==