The stories here embrace varied themes and contexts, with protagonists from cities and villages. Abbas manages to capture the dilemmas of all his characters, be it a has- been Nawab, a nurse or an untouchable in a village. He addresses themes of superstition, caste and romance, each in his own unique and rich style of writing. He writes with equal felicity of a modest young proofreader in Mumbai vying for the attention of a European girl ('The Umbrella') and Chanda, an outcaste, old woman in a village ('Sword of Shiva'). Often satirical and hard-hitting, the stories give the reader a glimpse...