Paradise & Other Stories & Train To Pakistan (PB) (Set of 2 books)

This combo product is bundled in India but the publishing origin of this title may vary.Publication date of this bundle is the creation date of this bundle; the actual publication date of child items may vary.In this sparkling collection of stories India's best-known writer addresses some pertinent questions why do we believe in miracles? Can a horoscope guarantee the perfect wife? Is the Kamasutra a useful manual for newlyweds? Margaret Bloom arrives in Haridwar from New York to save her soul. But she soon discovers that there are temptations even on the banks of the holy Ganga. Madan Mohan Pandey amateur astrologer and scholar of ancient Hindu texts finds to his horror that his doe-like bride is the Nation rumoured to be a chaar sau bees and a womanizer silences his detractors by earning the Bharat Ratna. Devi lal makes his peace with a fickle God when his daughter-in-law delivers a son following secret visits tothe Peer Sahib's tomb. And Vijay Lall emboldened by his miraculous escape from death decides to act upon his silent obsession with Karuna Chaudhury which takes him to a shifty soothsayer behind the Khan Market 100. Khushwant Singh returns to te short story after decades to deliver a truly memorable collection - humorous provocativeribald and even at times tender. About the Author Khushwant Singh is Indias best known writer and columnist. He has been founder editor of Yojana and editor of the Illustrated Weekly of India the National Herald and the Hindustan Times. He is the author of classics such as Train to Pakistan I Shall Not Hear the Nightingale and Delhi. His latest novel The Sunset Club written when he was 95 was published by Penguin Books in 2010. His nonfiction includes the classic two volume A History of the Sikhs a number of translations and works on Sikh religion and culture Delhi nature current affairs and Urdu poetry. His autobiography Truth Love and a Little Malice was published by Penguin Books in 2002.The partition of India was one of the most dreadful times in the recent Indian history. Since 1950s it has time and again been depicted in various media. However while most of those focussed mainly on the socio-political causes and effects the Train to Pakistan is a novel which has captured the essential human trauma and suffering in the face of such a terror and crisis. The novel commences with a description of Mano Majra a little village with Muslim and Sikh population that suddenly becomes a part of the border between Indian and Pakistan. An idyllic and peaceful village Mano Majra resorted to love and harmony even at the face of all odds till external forces come and disrupted all the harmony. The odds start when a train filled with dead bodies of Sikhs and Hindus arrive in Mano Majra. Riots and strikes reached a high with the Sikhs and Hindus being on one side and the Muslims on the other. Torn between them and their vested interests are two peopleJuggut and Iqbal the former being a criminal and the latter being a western educated fellow on a mission to reform the society. Also underlying it is a love story that transcends all religion and odds. Regarded as one of the most heart-rending testimonials of the partition of 1947 the Train to Pakistan is an ideal novel for those who wishes to learn more about Indias past and is looking for more than the socio-political scenario behind the partition. About the Author: One of Indias most acknowledged column-writer and novelist Khushwant Singh was the founder-editor of Yojana and had served as the editor of Hindustan Times the National Herald and the Illustrated Weekly of India. He was also awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1974 but returned it as a protest against the atrocities of the Indian Army on the Golden Temple in 1984. About the Author Khushwant Singh was India’s best-known writer and columnist. He was founder-editor of Yojana and editor of The Illustrated Weekly of India the National Herald and Hindustan Times. He was a member of Parliament from 1980 to 1986. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1974 but returned the decoration in 19984 in protest against the storming of the Golden Temple in Amritsar by the Indian Army. In 2007 he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan. He passed away in 2014 at the age of ninety-nine.