A fascinating short story from the inimitable Gulzar
Gulzar is one of India's most renowned poets and lyricists. This e-single sees him turning his hand to another creative form at which he is equally adept - short-form prose narrative.
This story is taken from Gulzar's new collection Half a Rupee: Stories, which comprises twenty-five gripping tales available in English for the very first time. From real-life stories about well-known personalities to tales set in Kashmir, in the hinterland, in the modern megalopolis and on the LoC, from anecdotes of love and betrayal to fables of courage and conviction, these are enthralling stories told in Gulzar's unique style; each story will delight you.

Gulzar is one of India's most respected scriptwriters and directors and has been one of the most popular lyricists in mainstream Hindi cinema for over five decades. One of country's leading poets, he has published a number of poetry anthologies and collections of short stories. He is also regarded as one of India's finest writers for children. A member of Indian Foreign Service, Pavan K. Varma has served in Moscow, in New York at the Indian Mission to the United Nations, in London, where he was director of the Nehru Centre and as India's high commissioner in Cyprus. Sunjoy Shekhar was born in Sahibganj, a small, sleepy town in Jharkhand on the banks of the river Ganga. He started work as an editor with a Delhi-based publishing house before moving on to writing dramas for television. He has more than 10,000 hours of story-writing credits across a host of television channels in India and Indonesia. He has also translated Gulzar's 100 Lyrics.