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The assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, Nathuram Godse is likely one of the most debated personalities in the history of India. The opinions on his character are divided across the country-while some people believe him to be a traitor, others consider him to be truly patriotic and demand that temples be built in his honour. Such opposite reactions are bound to leave the common man confused about who Nathuram Godse really was. Was he a terrorist? Was he a traitor? Was he a professional assassin? If not, then why did he kill Gandhi? Why did he consider Gandhi to be responsible for India’s partition? Moreover, did Gandhi really deceive the public in order to pacify Muslim leaders?
After serving his sentence of lifetime imprisonment for knowing about Nathuram Godse’s stand and thus being party to Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination, Gopal Godse wrote this historical document upon his release from jail on 13 October 1964.

‘Pinjar’ means ‘skeleton’. A skeleton with neither a face, nor mind, nor a will, nor identity. Pinjar is set in the era of India’s independence from British rule, specifically, the time when the country was partitioned to form the nation of Pakistan. The suffering, hardships, sacrifices and miseries of the women during this time are described in Pinjar, as are the crimes and regrets of the men; the Hindus and the Muslims; the venom from the Partition. Human rights in the face of religious divisions, with the aid of which, the heroine embraces the present and forgives people’s wrongdoings; she rises again to explore the infinite possibilities that the future holds.

This is the collection of correspondence between Imroz and Amrita Pritam in the form of love-letters these two immensely creative people, which serve to paint an intimate portrait of their relationship and individual personalities. Their letters also bring to life a picture of the society in which they lived, rendering their exchanges to be historically indispensible.

Famous writer in English, Khushwant Singh examines and criticizes subjects considered taboo in the Indian society in his signature bold style. This thought-provoking book candidly and honestly explains the difference between love and desire, indecency, pornography and erotica, examining the finer details of each topic. The author has included examples of myths and legends from around the world in addition to those from India, and has supplemented his stand with examples of stories and poems, making this an immensely entertaining read.

This book contains a social satire series in three parts. The first is called Ek Gadhe ki Aatmakatha. It is a whole other matter that it is actually written by the celebrated satirist writer, Krishna Chander. The author offers a critique of the social and political absurdities as well as of the human psychology in modern times. His critique is sharp, incisive and hits too close to home. In the second part of this aatmakatha, Ek Gadhe ki Waapsi, where the protagonist donkey meets prominent political leaders, he also comes across merchants and moneylenders. In the midst of all this, he then falls in love.

Ek Chadar Maili Si is a story of a tradition in Punjab, as part of which, the younger brother weds his elder brother’s widow upon the latter’s death. This tradition is called ‘chadar daalna‘. Compelled by custom and physical force, the male protagonist of Ek Chadar Maili Si weds his sister-in-law. She gives him turmeric-milk on their wedding-night and spends all night caressing his wounds.

This novel is based on Devraj Indra’s violation of Ahalya and her husband’s struggle to stand against the injustice of Indra’s authority and defend his wife in the face of adversity.

The stories in this collection explore the building and breaking of human relationships with great dexterity. It talks about times when circumstances cause us to feel alienated from our own kin … when there occurs such a void in time that after years when one goes to his old town, he does not chance upon his old lover … when the children whose mothers and fathers spend all their lives making sacrifices for so they could achieve their dreams, find themselves being starved by them in their old-age and incapacity; the wife who keeps finding ways to get her husband to work … but when his tendency to stand by what is right overpowers his ability to do anything right, etc.

This novel by the prolific author, Narendra Kohli, is considered one of the foremost novelistic works based on the life of Swami Vivekananda. He has written over a hundred books, of which some have been based on the life of Swami Vivekananda, but this work is distinct for its ability to present both the ordinary as well as the ascetic life of Swami Vivekananda. Full of known and unknown facts about Swamiji’s life, this book is fascinating, accessible and unputdownable.