Narcissist

**Book Summary**
*Narcissist* is a haunting and deeply emotional journey into the life of Dr. Ayaan, a humble and hardworking physician from Patna who battles life's harshest realities-not in warzones or operating rooms-but within the walls of his own home. Born into a lower-middle-class Kayastha family, Ayaan's life is shaped by years of hardship, perseverance, and relentless pursuit of success in a world that often seems stacked against him.

He meets Meera, an exceptionally beautiful Brahmin girl, in a temple, and falls in love. They marry against societal norms and without family support. Meera, once sweet and supportive, gradually turns distant, cold, and hypercritical as the years pass. They move to another state, have two daughters, and eventually return to Patna after earning family approval. But what should have been a homecoming becomes a descent into emotional chaos.

Accusations, silence, and chronic misunderstandings consume their marriage. Meera labels him a narcissist-again and again-despite Ayaan's quiet endurance, emotional generosity, and sacrificial love for his daughters. Misinterpreted silence, a failing relationship, and the slow decay of mutual understanding begin affecting their children's well-being and studies.

Told in a deeply intimate, dialogue-heavy narrative, *Narcissist* begins at the tragic end-Ayaan's suicide-and unspools backward through flashbacks, struggles, dreams, and heartbreaks. It questions the nature of narcissism, the societal pressure on men to be stoic providers, and how miscommunication can quietly destroy even the most loving hearts.

At its core, *Narcissist* is not about a diagnosis-it's about mislabelling, about unheard men, about dying silently in plain sight.