‘Situationships’ and Silent Goodbyes: Saurav Banerjee’s New Novel Explores the Unspoken Side of Modern Relationships
As terms like “situationships” and “emotional unavailability” become increasingly common in conversations around modern relationships, a new novel by Saurav Banerjee is tapping into a reality many young adults recognize but rarely articulate.
As terms like “situationships” and “emotional unavailability” become increasingly common in conversations around modern relationships, a new novel by Saurav Banerjee is tapping into a reality many young adults recognize but rarely articulate.
A growing body of research, including studies by the Pew Research Center, suggests that relationships today are becoming harder to define—and, for many, harder to process. From emotionally intense friendships that never fully evolve into romance to connections that fade without closure, ambiguity has become a defining feature of contemporary emotional life.
It is within this cultural landscape that The Distance Between Mars and Pluto finds its place. The novel follows Anurag and Saloni, two college students whose bond exists in the in-between—never quite a relationship, yet never just friendship. Their story unfolds through familiar, intimate moments: shared playlists, late-night conversations, and messages written but never sent.