Zindaginama

The haveli of the Shahs in a village in Gujarat-Punjab is the hub of discussions about the imminent independence of India. Even as two of the Shah brothers return from the British army, bringing in tales of their political excesses, the women of the village, suffering its iron-fisted patriarchy, look for guidance towards the childless Shahni, the eldest Shah's second wife. And in the quiet corners of the haveli, an impossible love sprouts between Shahji and young Rabeya, a mere servant of the household. It is a desire poised on the razor's edge.One of the most controversial novels of the last century, Zindaginama is a magnificent portrait of India on the brink of its cataclysmic division.