In this deliciously sweet tale, renowned author Subhadra Sen Gupta takes us through the lanes of Lukhnow to a humble cook and a proud Nawab. The Nawab has heard praise and come to visit, but the cook is unlike any he has met before. He doesn’t bow down to his royal highness; he simply says that anyone eating his food must eat it exactly as he demands. The Nawab in good humour agrees, but will he remember to come on time? Will the cook furiously throw away this magnificent food in fury, along with dreams of a better future? Find out in this teekha tale, which brings to life all the fulsome flavours of desi khaana.
Catagory: Literature & Fiction
The Boy with a Catapult
Bhisham Sahni is at his finest in this elegant story of ruthlessness and kindness. Bodh Raj is a boy with murder on his mind and a catapult in his hands. Birds, beasts, insects – none are spared his callous cruelty. Bhisham Sahni takes us on a swift journey of the heart of a boy, and how it can change in an instant from cruelty to fierce protectiveness – all it needs is a reason. Sahni beautifully encapsulates how the worst of us can be redeemed in this simple, timeless tale.
From Haroun and the Sea of Stories
Haroun’s father Rashid is the greatest storyteller in the sad sad city of Alfibay. He juggles a million stories without a single mistake, and Haroun grows up in a home with a song on his mother’s lips, and a story on his father’s. But whenever he asks where his stories come from, his father would stick his thumb between his lips and say glug glug glug – it comes from a secret invisible tap.
One day, Haroun’s fathers stories all dry up – he opens his mouth, and no stories come out. Can Haroun bring back his fathers tales? Written with Salman Rushdie’s trademark wit and rich prose, this short slice of his classic children’s tale Haroun and the Sea of Stories is a delight for all.
The Hungry Septopus
Parimal is an author who lives a quiet life away from the hunting and adventures of his past. But when an old friend comes to him and asks for a favour with the promise of danger, he cannot resist. Why does the old botanist want him to bring his gun and come to his home? He only has plants, helpless happy plants, who cannot possibly be a danger. Or can they? Satyajit Ray brings to life his rich storytelling with this decadently illustrated thriller.
Festival of Eid
When Hamid the poor orphan is going to the Eid fair, he has only three paise. All the other boys have an enormous amount of money with which to buy toys and sweets, and cruelly tease him with their riches. But Hamid has a single goal in mind – to buy a pair of tongs so his grandmother won’t burn her fingers making roti. Will his resolve last against lollipops and gulab jamuns? Will the brilliant toy policemen and lawyers of his compatriots break his will? A heartwarming tale of generosity and kindness with a sprinkling of mischief and love by the father of modern Hindi literature – Premchand.
From Swami and Friends
This sweet, short story is from RK Narayan’s iconic ‘Swami and Friends’, a slice of life from a simpler time. Swami has been forced to move to a different school because of his antics, and is struggling to play cricket as much as he likes. His grandmother, his coach, his headmaster all seem to be conspiring against him to ensure that he never gets to play cricket again. Swami’s friends are outraged on his behalf and decide to help him out by going and talking to his headmaster themselves. Will it work? Or will poor impetuous Swami now be confronted with even more furious grownups? Find out in this lovely little snippet from RK Narayan’s original Swami and Friends.
Snake Trouble
Grandfather is an odd but lovely man, and one day in the market, he buys a young python that he sees from the Snake Charmer. Alas, when they bring the python home, Grandmother lets out an ungodly scream, and says it must be sent packing. Try though they might, the python keeps coming home and becomes a reluctant part of the family. But what scrapes will young Ruskin get into with a python as a pet? And how does one take care of the python when you also have a parrot and a monkey? This has Ruskin Bond at his finest, with elegant prose and effortless humour in this delightfully sweet story.
The Gold and Red Shoe
One day, Lata finds a red and gold shoe while playing on the railway track. It was a beautiful shoe, covered in velvet with a sole of felt, and Lata who had never had anything in her life, suddenly had a shoe for show. All the other children who never played with her now begged to be her friend. But her friend had always been Joseph Pinto, the little boy with polio. When they find the shoe, the two children suddenly become the most popular in the slum. How long can a little bit of magic last for two children who have nothing at all? This poignant story by Margaret Bhatty finds joy even in the darkest places.
Love in the Sky
The colours on your two wings are not the same . . . one’s a brilliant yellow and the other is just the shade of ripe jamun berries I so love! May I call you Jamuni? You are so pretty!’ And every time she would flutter her wings and fly away in one smooth move.’
Ghuggu is a crow, and Jamuni the one he loves – a love of of bright yellow and purple, who comes out every afternoon to fly in the sky, silent and lovely. Ghuggu falls in love with her, not knowing why she will never speak back to him, not knowing why she will never fly to him. He sees one day that she is tied to her owner with a thread, a sharp thread that can cut, and he mourns for her freedom. One day, a storm brews, and when the Jamuni comes out, the crow runs to her to protect her – but can he protect himself? Gulzar perfectly captures the sweetness of love in this charming, delightfully silly story of love.
Border
‘In the village below, there are a lot of men whose houses are on this side but their farms on the other,’ Majeed began to stutter in answer. ‘There are men in a similar situation in villages on the other side too whose houses and farms are thus divided. Families and relations too. So . . .’
Gulzar writes with poignant power on the horrors of Partition, exploring the lives of those who have lived on the border made heartbreakingly complex with a sudden, arbitrary line whose scar spans generations. Major Kulwant has grown up in the valley, and he now returns as a soldier to guard it. What happens when he finds out that his old childhood friend is an enemy across the line? A touching story on how friendship and hope blooms in defiance of nationalism brought to life with the joys of a childhood in Punjab.