Akhtari Begum: (a novel)

<p>Near Sarai Maali Khan on the backside of Mian Ilmas Ka Imambara we come to a gate leading into a large well-built three-storeyed house. The door is stately but quite ancient its brass tacks having no trace of shine left.</p><p>The walls of the compound are broken in various places and in a state of disrepair. The plaster had worn off a long time ago. Now the lakhori bricks—the thin red-colored bricks made of burnt clay laid end-to-end—have a white powdery deposit on them in many places.</p>