RAINBOW

This book contains thirty-five short stories. The first fifteen are character-based. They describe people and their ethos and pathos from a psychological perspective. The last twenty are locale-based. They describe the pristine beauty of Kinnaur and Baspa valley.  The first story ‘Neighbourhood’ narrates the frustration of a Hindu boy and a Muslim girl when they find that their parents and relatives disapprove an inter-religious marriage. The second story  ‘Hari Bahadur’ is about an ambitious boy who embraces Christianity and goes to England to become an ICS (Indian Civil Service Officer). He faces the ire of his family members. The community treats him as an outcast. The third story  ‘Pratap Krishna’ is about  a boy who would not like to take up a low paid job. Since he could not get a well-paid one he learns astrology and by a sudden stroke of luck becomes a reputed astrologer. The fourth story ‘Gopi Ballabh’ is about a man whom destiny detests. Destiny always frowned on him and he became a manic-depressive man and killed himself in a state of depression. Further eleven stories also deal with different shades of human behavior. From the sixteenth one the book acquires a different complexion and each chapter strikes a romantic resonance.