Published in 1899, Muhammad Hadi Ruswa's famous novel, "Umrao Jaan Ada, " created a sensation when it came out, with its candid fictionalized account of Umrao Jaan, based on a renowned Lucknow courtesan and poetess of the same name. Considered by many as the first Urdu novel, it remains highly popular today, and has been the basis for three films and a Pakistani television serial. But despite Ruswa's notoriety, few know that a month after he wrote "Umrao Jaan Ada," Ruswa penned a sly novella entitled "Junun-e-Intezar, " in which "Umrao" avenges herself on her creator, Ruswa, by narrating the...