kiran manrals latest novel missing presumed dead explores a marriage on the rocks and all that surrounds the psyche of a woman on the brink of insanity manral carefully examines through her characters how mental illness can affect families tear apart relationships and push one off the edge without a warningmissing presumed dead follows aisha an anguished wife and a depressed mother of two a tale of a woman battling mental illness the novel charts out how depression can take over our lives when the right treatment is not sought after at the right time with a dark past she must now battle her own demons of the present as she often slides over to the dark side aishas children know their mother is well off behind locked doors a vision scary for them beyond imagination prithvi the husband deals with his private mess and fails miserably to express his love for aisha thereby amounting to more dispassionate madness but the advent of aishas halfsister heer cooks up a tormenting storm that intends to bring about a balance too orderly yet eerie manrals prose is racy and immersive the book is a brave attempt at bringing out the importance of seeking medical help for mental health issues she beautifully projects with the depiction of a family in utter pain how mental illness eats away a womans chance at happiness and a healthy full family missing presumed dead is a mustread for everyone who knows a dear one battling mental illness