Friendship Under Jambhul Tree

It is the story of my past. It is the story of my life. And most of all it is the story of our friendship the friendship under Jambhul tree. If you happen to eat these sweet-sour dark violet fruits of the Jambhul they stain your tongue they stain your mouth they stain your hands they stain your clothes forever and they are difficult to remove like the stains of our friendship the stains imparted on our souls. Raju lives in the impoverished surrounding of a chawl in then laid-back town of Pune along with his friends Kishor and Bandu. While their childhood is anything but fun only occasionally they have to suffer at the hands of a local bully Kalu. As they grow up Raju is drawn towards Sweety the daughter of Subhash who is no less a person controlling the local mob. Kishor's daredevilry makes him stand tall against one and all. Only Bandu is on the right track studying hard to come out of poverty. But the dice of destiny throw them on a whirlwind journey. Will they succeed in their aspirations? This story is not just about the coming of age of these boys but is also a depiction of the crumbling moral structure of the post-independence Indian society. About the Author Rajiv Sule is an eminent dermatologist practising in Pune. An active participant of the social and cultural milieu of the city he has been involved in the management of HIV and AIDS and has been working for the prevention of AIDS epidemic. He has been a medical consultant to LGBT communities. Apart from research publications in scientific journals he has regularly been writing informative articles in the local press to educate the general public. But his forays do not remain just skin deep and he has been involved in creative writing since his early days. He has to his credit books of plays published in his mother tongue. He has been writing and publishing his poems regularly.