FIFO is a collection of short stories originally written in Kannada, exploring the philosophical dilemmas, moral decay, and struggles for individual liberation against societal norms. These stories delve into themes such as the clash between Eastern and Western values and the profound intricacies of human existence.

The author employs an innovative narrative style, abstracting human life to shed light on these universal concerns. In Ondu Asahya Kathe, a writer grapples with societal expectations and conflicting ideologies, culminating in a surreal moment where a reader punches him for a book that hasn’t yet been written. In Anahita, an old man exchanges his life with the water of a fountain, personified as weary of being stuck in one place, offering a poignant take on the myth of Sisyphus.

Stories like Oasis explore guilt and vengeance as a boy confronts the woman of a house, demanding either her husband or son as punishment for an accident that claimed his sister’s life. Padagalu presents two men at an airport debating whether suicide is an accident or murder. In Pradakshine, a couple in a jaded live-in relationship secretly wishes for the natural death of their partner.

Bete presents a bleeding saint caught between a hungry bear and two starving men—one trying to save him, the other waiting for his death. In Kelavomme, a traditional housewife, while alone at home, is struck by a liberating thought: that she is free to step out of the bathroom without a towel. Mussangeyalli captures the moral struggle of a man forced to kill a snake on the road, knowing it was trying to return to its young ones.

The collection also includes stories reflecting contemporary crises, such as an elderly woman pushed to suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic and a touching tale of a poor father caught stealing after his daughter begs him for a dosa.

Each story in FIFO pushes boundaries, offering an introspective look into human nature through a bold and unconventional lens.