Chakallas (Hindi Edition)

In the Republic of Vaishali - which comprises eight different states and is run by their elected representatives - lives the beautiful Ambapali. Considered to be the most beautiful woman in the whole republic, she is eventually forced to dedicate herself to the republic as a Nagarvadhu (literally, the wife of the city). She, however, demands various privileges in exchange for this and is granted all of them by the authorities, with the condition that she must fulfil her duties well.  

Urdu Ki Chuni Hui Kahaniyan is an anthology of some of the classic Hindi stories (afsāna) by great writers like Saadat Hassan Manto, Ismat Chughtai, Qurratulain Hyder, Rajinder Singh Bedi, and many other major writers of Hindi literature. This collection of stories varies in style and subject, but one thing that unites all the stories is the enduring quality of the finest Hindi writing, which places them among Urdu masterpieces. An enriching addition in Hindi literature, Urdu Ki Chuni Hui Kahaniyan is presented to listeners by the famous Hindi novelist Kamleshwar. 

 Meri Duniya Mere Dost is a collection of Hindi translations of Singh’s writings that consists of personal notes, memoirs, articles, philosophical musings and some wit from this beloved author whose career has spanned multiple decades. The work consists of five sections, each dedicated to an aspect of Singh’s life, giving us a glimpse of his world, his memories, his thoughts, and his eccentricities. 

UP 65 is Nikhil Sachan's third book after remarkable success of Namak Swadanusar and Zindagi Aais Pais. As Nikhil says, the book is a giveback to Banaras and BHU for all that these two places have given him. The story revolves around how Nishant, an IIT BHU student, finds his love, friends and purpose in his life.The book is a laugh riot and is a pause resistor. It promises to let you relive your best years of college, friendship and lost-and-found and love.

In 1707, when Emperor Aurangzeb went to his grave, the Mughal empire began to crack into a hundred fractured pieces. It was the lure of the Deccan that drained this conqueror’s energies, putting him on a course of collision with his most threatening adversaries. After all, the Deccan was a land that inspired wonder. Its treasures were legendary, and its kings magnificent. It was a horizon of rousing adventure, attracting talent from beyond oceans.

Meri Priya Kahaniyaan contains the favourite stories by the fierce and celebrated poet Amrita Pritam, selected by her. Amrita Pritam, the first female Punjabi poet, novelist, and essayist, and the leading voice of 20th-century Indian literature, was awarded Jnanpith in the year 1982. She authored more than a hundred compositions and has left a special mark in the stories, just like her poems, which are about female sexuality, self-realisation and the pain of loss at a time when women mostly wrote on conservative themes.

Do Kadam Aur Sahi is an excellent compilation of selected poems by the renowned Urdu poet Rahat Indoori. The compiler, Sachin Chaudhary, has named the collection as ‘selected pearls of the ocean’. The magic that flows from the pen of Rahat Indauri gives a different feeling.

This is a collection of stories written by the world famous writer Rabindranath Tagore. This collection includes stories such as Goongi, Prem ka Mulya and Nayi Roshini. 

Sachchidananda Hirananda Vastyayana ‘Agyeya’ (Ajneya) is an important poet and writer of the ‘adhunik kaal’ (modern period) of Hindi literature. Meri Priya Kahaniyan (My Favourite Stories) is an anthology of 12 of his selected stories, where after 15 years of hiatus, he revisits his old writings as an exercise to reflect on questions of audience reception, truth and the position of a writer vis-à-vis the world he inhabits and the world that he creates.

Malgudi Ki Kahaniyan (Hindi) is a set of stories that are based in the fictional town of Malgudi. The town of Malgudi is a South Indian village created by the author and offers a valuable peek into the quality of rural life during the pre-independence era. The characters in these stories come from different walks of life, and each has a unique tale to tell. These stories have characters such as astrologers, postmen, doctors, beggars and priests. 

 Malgudi Ka Chalta Purza is the Hindi translation of R.K. Narayan’s English novel The Financial Expert (1952), where he explores the themes of greed and lust for money. The story takes place in the fictional town of Malgudi. Margayya is a petty money-lender who operates his business under the banyan tree in front of the bank. As his business flourishes though, he is faced with opposition and threats from the bank employees, forcing him to think of an alternative career. Angered with this humiliation, he vows to become a wealthy man.   

When Bhagat Singh was executed by the British after a sham trial for his involvement in the Lahore Conspiracy Case at the age of 23, he was glorified by the Indians as a martyr for his youth, his defiance and his reckless bravery. It was only many years later, after Independence in 1947, that his writings came to light. Today, it is these that set Bhagat Singh apart and reveal him as not just a hot-headed revolutionary who believed in the cult of the bomb but a widely-read intellectual inspired by the writings of Marx and Lenin.

One of the only two completed novels by the famous poet and playwright Jaishankar Prasad, Titli is a ‘social novel’ that addresses themes of feudalism, poverty and oppression of women. First published in 1933, this novel is a part of the ‘progressive’ phase of Hindi literature where various writers were creating works to reform and improve society.  

जुड़वाँ लेखकों की दुनिया एक साथ देखना अपने-आप में रोमांच भर देता है। इस कहानी-संग्रह की सबसे बेहतरीन बात यही है कि एक ही किताब में आपको ज़हनी तौर पर दो अलग-अलग शैलियों के रास्ते मिलते हैं। 

अब वक्त आया है बैचेनी भरी आदतों को छो़डने का। इस पुस्तक को हाथ में लेकर कसम खाएँ कि ‘हम गलत आदतों को छोड़, अच्छी आदतों को अपनाएँगे।’ जो अब आसान है।