‘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.

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.

Rather than focusing on dramatic breakups, the narrative explores emotional drift. Replies grow shorter. Calls become less frequent. There is no single moment of ending—only a gradual realization that something meaningful has quietly slipped away.

Banerjee, who has previously written on introspective and social themes and contributed to The Times of India’s Speaking Tree and Readers’ Blog, says the story draws from lived observation.

“This story comes from a space most people recognise but don’t always articulate. It’s not about being far away from someone, but about feeling that distance even when the connection exists,” he said.

Psychologists have increasingly identified this experience as “ambiguous loss”—a form of emotional uncertainty where closure is absent. Unlike traditional breakups, such relationships often leave individuals without the language to fully process what they have lost.

Early reader responses suggest the novel resonates particularly with students and young professionals navigating emotionally complex but undefined connections. The protagonist Anurag’s introspective voice—often comparing himself to a distant planet—anchors the narrative in memory, reflection, and the lingering nature of unresolved emotions.

Literary observers note that such stories reflect a broader shift in contemporary fiction. Rather than asking whether relationships succeed or fail, they explore how they linger—capturing a generation increasingly familiar with connections that do not follow traditional arcs.

As conversations around emotional well-being and communication continue to evolve, The Distance Between Mars and Pluto emerges less as a conventional love story and more as a cultural snapshot—one that quietly captures the distance between what is felt and what is ever expressed.

The book is now available in paperback and digital formats online.