The plot of the novel is set in the backdrop of religious militancy in Pakistan and grapples with the question why militancy has taken root in the country and in which direction society is heading for. The story revolves around Ali Naqvi, a student of philosophy, who is caught between faith and skepticism. Two other main characters are Maulvi Ziaur Rehman, who is the mentor of militants and Dr Junaid, a professor of philosophy but a mastermind of terrorism behind the scene. Ali turns to philosophy to help him puzzle out the riddles of life, the most important of which is whether God exists....

A boy is born and is named Asad Shah by his father, Yasir Shah. Nasir Malik, Yasir Shah's friend, an astrologer, predicts that Asad will rise to the top before suddenly falling to the ground. From a prince he will become a pauper - not by force but by choice. Yasir Shah, who is shocked by the prophecy, becomes desperate to secure his son's future. He is told by the country's leading occultist that the foreboding can be warded off only if he strikes a bargain with nature in the form of due sacrifice. The first part of the prophecy comes true when, rising roughshod, Asad excels in the corporate...