Summary

Chandra's collection of interconnected stories begins in an out-of-the-way bar in Bombay, as an enigmatic civil servant, Mr. Subramaniam, recounts an extraordinary sequence of tales to those seated around him. Each of the tales is rich in character and atmosphere and falls into a distinct genre: "Dharma" is a ghost story in which a soldier recuperating from a leg amputation discovers that his house is haunted by the spirit of a young child; "Kama" follows a detective as he investigates a murder and discovers a web of sexual and political misdoings; and in the love story, "Shanti," a twin brother is consumed by his love for a married woman.