AUTHOR : Khushwant Singh,

OUTLINE : A wealthy, recently divorced man reinvents his life through a series of bold romantic and sexual relationships, exploring desire, memory, and companionship in an uninhibited celebration of love and passion.

My Rating – 3.5/5,
Pages – 232,
First Published – 01, Jan 1999,
Language – English,
Genres – Fiction, Erotica, Indian Literature, India, Novels, Adult, Contemporary, Drama, Literary Fiction, Classics

Synopsis:

In The Company of Women, Khushwant Singh introduces us to Mohan Kumar, a wealthy businessman who, after separating from his ill-tempered wife of thirteen years, decides to reinvent his life on his own unapologetic terms. Firmly believing that lust, rather than love, forms the true foundation of human relationships, Mohan embarks on a bold experiment, advertising for paid companions to share not just his bed but fragments of his life.

What follows is a series of encounters with unforgettable women, each bringing a different shade of desire and intimacy. There is Sarojini Bharadwai, a seemingly reserved professor from small-town Haryana whose passion defies expectations; Molly Gomes, a free-spirited Goan masseuse who lives entirely by sensual instinct; and Susanthika Goonatilleke, a captivating seductress from Sri Lanka. Between these affairs, Mohan finds comfort in the familiarity of his maid Dhanno and drifts into memories of his first lovers, women who shaped his understanding of desire long before wealth entered the picture.

Bold, provocative, and often irreverent, the novel is an uninhibited exploration of love, sex, memory, and male fantasy. With his trademark candor and wit, Khushwant Singh delivers an entertaining and unapologetic celebration of passion, making The Company of Women a striking and controversial reflection on desire and companionship in modern life.

My Experience:

I finished this book in just a few days, powered entirely by curiosity and a slightly reckless reading mood. I was craving something bold and unusual, so I picked up this Khushwant Singh title expecting fireworks. What I got instead was more like a sparkler: interesting at first, then quietly fizzing out.

As the pages turned, the story started running on a loop. The women changed shapes, sizes, and locations, but emotionally they felt like photocopies of the same character. After a while, the encounters blended into one long déjà vu, leaving me less intrigued and more mildly concerned about humanity’s commitment issues.

By the end, the book left me with that familiar late-night feeling you get after binge-reading something average: not angry, just slightly queasy and wondering why you didn’t stop earlier. There was real potential here, especially in exploring Mohan’s failing marriage, but it got lost under a pile of never-ending escapades. With a bit more depth and a lot less repetition, this could’ve been far more satisfying.

Anyway, that’s my two paise. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. I promise to read them with more enthusiasm than Mohan shows restraint.