Dinanath (Deen) Datta

Deen is a Calcutta-born dealer in rare books and Asian antiquities. He currently lives in Brooklyn, New York, and winters in India with his family.

Since childhood, Deen has held a fascination with Bengali folklore. His interest is so strong that he wrote his Ph.D. thesis on the Merchant and Manasa Devi: a story that seems to constantly re-emerge in his life. Most recently, he has been approached by an estranged cousin (Kanai Dutt) to visit his aunt regarding her experience with a temple whose story bears strong similarities to that of the Merchant.

Deen is enticed by the tale told by Nilima Bose (Kanai's aunt), and the allure of her friend, Piya Roy, to venture to the shrine of the Merchant.

Cinta

Cinta is an Italian acquaintance of Deen's. They first met while Deen was working as Catalog Assistant for Rare Books and Special...