पिंजर

A heart-touching story about how conflicts between families, communities and nations are so often brutally and mindlessly played out on the bodies and identities of women. The movie is just as equally good. A must read for anyone interested in the literature related to the plight of women during the bloodiest time in recent Indian history – that of partition and the period just preceding and following it.

कम्मी और नन्दा

Two heart-touching novelettes. Kammi, especially, is a character who draws the reader toward her with her simple and authentic strength and beauty of the heart.

Kammi is a story of a young woman who in her childhood had seen the severe abuse her mother received at the hands of her father (ultimately resulting in her mother’s death), and over time develops this sense of self-confidence that she doesn’t need the support of a man to find any fulfillment in life. She dedicates her life to her work as a teacher in a remote village – somewhat as an escape from any possibility of experiencing pain in life, where her mentor advises her that escaping from anything is not the way to grow in life, rather she should be open to what life has to offer. Through various circumstances Kammi ends up twice in relationships with men, both of whom deceive her in different ways. The story is ultimately about Kammi finding inner strength, within and through these experiences, and ultimately recognizing her purpose in life when she comes back to her village school with her unborn child whom she plans to raise by herself.

A beautiful collection of heart-touching letters exchanged between Amrita Pritam and Imroz over a period of several years. Two of the most beautiful lines from the book – “Love is the only freedom in the world” (from a letter written by Imroz), and “You are my 15th August” (from a letter written by Amrita).