The rulers of the sun-city were called sun-kings because they dazzled by the virtue of always following the rules of the land.’
Sita and Ram lived in an age where living according to dharma, or the rules of society, was of utmost importance, even if it meant living in exile for fourteen years. When Kaikeyi demands her two boons from King Dashratha, everyone except the one who has to suffer is heartbroken. Ram stoically accepts the consequences of his father’s word as his destiny. However, Sita displays astounding grace when she makes a choice that isn’t expected from her.
In the din of Ravana’s cruelty and Ram’s valour, something is often overlooked—the story of Sita, the woman who chose. From the master of mythology, Devdutt Pattanaik, this is the story of the first, and possibly the most difficult, choice that Sita makes.
One minute before midnight on 1 January 1949, Nehru’s long battle with Jinnah ended. However, the rivalry they had bequeathed to their nations, and the world, had barely begun.
Even as Gandhi went on a fast until communal violence ended, Nehru and Jinnah were fighting their own battles on behalf of their countries, facing problems they hadn’t anticipated. Meanwhile, Kashmir was – and still remains – the roadblock to better relations between India and Pakistan. With Gandhi’s subsequent demise being projected as the death of a martyr, things were far from improving.
In this brilliantly detailed essay, Nisid Hajari explores the extent to which India’s and Pakistan’s early leadership defined the futures the two nations would eventually live through.
With talk of Partition emerged the most violent and horrific riots in the history of the subcontinent. From Calcutta to Bihar and Punjab, a crazy frenzy was taking over both Hindus and Muslims of a country that was still under British rule.
A situation that was quickly getting out of hand saw the leaders of the hour neither condemning nor making any attempts to stop the violence. Were these the leaders that would eventually lead India and Pakistan towards Independence? Did they know they were leaving behind a bloody legacy that would come to haunt generations of Indians and Pakistanis?
Read on to get an insight into the darkest time of India’s history just as she was getting ready for a new identity in the world.
Until the early 1900s, Hindus and Muslims of the subcontinent were united in their fight against the British, fighting for Independence. Eventually, with the formation of the Muslim League, and the leaderships of Jinnah and Nehru not quite in agreement with each other, it increasingly became evident that independence would come with the formation of two separate states: India and Pakistan.
Could the partition – an event that led to countless horrors – be pegged to two people, influential leaders in their own right? Or were there other factors, like the inability to imagine a populace so hungry for a bloodbath?
Read on to find out what led to Jinnah and Nehru becoming the faces of two nations that would emerge out of the struggle for Independence.
‘I turned around to see how Sue was getting along. She had put on her petticoat and had a towel round her shoulders, covering her breasts. Clearly she had got bolder and taken her bra off before the dip. With a second towel she was rubbing herself between her legs.’
When Mohan, the born-again bachelor, takes his yearly trip to Haridwar, he gallantly offers Susanthika the opportunity to join him. With the best intentions, they leave together, only to find that in the spiritual confines of the River Ganga, they crave a more earthy connection. Will Mohan bring back the joy to the sexy Sri Lankan woman’s bed? Can she pleasure a man of such vast tastes? Can they keep away from each other when they return to their judgmental home city—or will their passion stay secret?
Khushwant Singh brings to life the illicit delights of forbidden passion in this short, sexy story.
‘She nibbled the lobes of my ears, pressed her thumbs into the back of my shoulders, ran her
fingers over my belly, middle, thighs and shins, down to my feet. She rubbed my toes and my insteps. Not a part of my body did she leave untouched.’
When recently divorced Mohan puts out an ad in the papers for a companion, he’s looking for someone playful, joyous, without the strings of relationships, and someone who knows how to have a good time. Molly Gomes, Goan masseuse, fits the bill perfectly. Bursting with laughter and with skillful hands, Molly brings light and life back into Mohan’s home and bed. What secret tips and tricks can a professional masseuse show Mohan, who’s seen the world? Can Mohan blow the mind of a woman who knows exactly how to blow his? And how far can two bodies be pushed in the pursuit of pleasure?
Khushwant Singh glories in the passions of the human heart in this short, sexy story.
‘First she took off her gold necklace, kissed the cross and laid it reverently on the table. Then she took off her sari, folded it and put it on a chair. She took off her blouse; her breasts tumbled out.’
When Mohan’s wife returns from giving birth to their first child, she wants to have nothing to do with Mohan. Starved for sex for six months, Mohan’s morals become less important than his needs. And what he needs is to feel wanted, as a man; a willing woman to find pleasure with. Mary Joseph is his baby’s Roman Catholic Tamilian wet nurse—a happy, full-bodied woman who has one motto—‘Only one life to live, Saar’. Will Mohan find what he’s looking for in Mary’s ample affections? And what will Mary do to keep her Saar happy, and keep him wanting more?
Khushwant Singh writes a deliciously torrid affair of two people who delight in the desires of the flesh in this sexy story.
Sonu got up and stood by my pillow. ‘I’m scared. Can I share your bed?’ she pleaded. I made room for her. She clung to me like a frightened child. Every time there was lightning and thunder she dug deeper into my embrace. I soothed her nerves by holding her close to me. We began to kiss; this time she opened her mouth to let me explore its depths.
When Mohan comes back from America, his father knows that it is now time for him to marry. The girl is from a good family, and as is tradition, they get very little time to get to know each other—but on this honeymoon, they discover each other in a deeply intimate way. Mohan wants to make sure his wife knows that he won’t hurt her—but her young, innocent sensuality makes it very hard to keep himself in check. Will Mohan find his way into his young bride’s . . . heart?
Khushwant Singh writes a thrilling, brazen story of first times in this traditionally sexy story.
Suddenly, she put her arms round my neck and said, ‘It is our last evening together. Make love to me. Something to remember you by for the rest of my days.’
She did not give me a chance to protest. She took me by my hand and led me to the bedroom. She took off everything save her jewellery.’
When Mohan goes to Princeton, the last person he expects to meet is a loud, opinionated Kashmiri woman—Yasmeen Wanchoo. She was, as the Punjabis say, goree chittee gole matole—fair and roly-poly. But her fierce demeanor hides a tender, sensuous heart. Effortlessly, he is brought into her life and heart. Feeding Mohan on rich Kashmiri food with her own fingers, will Yasmeen be able to satisfy the hunger in Mohan’s soul? Can India–Pakistan find a way to make love, not war?
Two countries torn asunder find common ground across the sheets in Khushwant Singh’s exquisite, sexy story.
‘When saying good night, we started with a peck on the cheeks, progressed to kissing on the lips, and then full-blooded mouth kissing—she would roll her tongue in my mouth. She sensed that I lacked the confidence to go further and decided to take the initiative.
She asked me to have a drink with her in her room.’
Mohan leaves India for the first time to go to Princeton to study. It’s a new world, where everything is different—but some things stay the same no matter where you are. For the first time, Mohan meets women who are unafraid of sex and want him as much as he wants them. And Jessica Browne introduces him to what he only dreamt of knowing before—the wonders of a woman’s body.
Khushwant Singh’s magnificent prose meets the universal pleasure for the first time in this short, compelling story.
