A Hundred Cartloads
Meet Ananda the ox. While he might be a frightful sight, he is every bit the gentle giant. It is usual for the children of the village to play with Ananda while his owner Billa sits under a tree, looking over with a smile. Billa and Ananda share a friendship that doesn't see the boundaries of man and animal. Every so often, Billa wonders how a tiny calf could grow up to be such a humongous beast.
One night, Ananda pokes his giant head into Billa’s home. Billa wakes up with a start, and asks Ananda if everything is fine. Ananda explains to Billa how he has been thinking about all the good things Billa has done for him, yet he remains poor. Ananda would like to help Billa in any way he can. Ananda has a plan that he guarantees will be fail-proof. Will Billa agree to Ananda’s plan?
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Raman of Tenali was a court jester in the court of King Krishna Deva Raya of Vijaynagara. The Wit of Tenali Raman is a collection of short stories that showcases Raman’s remarkable intelligence. The amusing stories centre around varying objects, natural produce, or people, like the tastiest brinjal curry in all the land, the special seed variety that has to be planted only by a person who has never yawned, and a magician who wagers his head in a bet.
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This is the story of Didda - the princess of Lohara. Born with a deformed foot and loathed by her father for being born a girl, the story captures her journey from being bullied and harassed all her childhood to growing up to be the confident and fearless queen regent of Kashmira. The story switches between two narratives: one told from Didda's point of view, the other from that of Valga - her confidante and girl Friday. While both the characters are starkly different, they share a history of being let down and insulted by others. On becoming queen, Didda is hungry for power and leaves no stone unturned to get control while Valga becomes a spectator of all the events around her. A beautiful story of power, friendship, and love displaying an intermingling of facts with fiction.
When Amma Went Away
Narrated from 14-year-old Nalini’s point of view, this is the story of how a family deals with the temporary absence of one of its own. Amma, Nalini’s mother, is given a research assignment in Singapore for five months. She has worked hard for it but is conflicted about being separated from her family for that long. She invites her mother to stay with the family in New Delhi and take care of them while she is away. Appa, Nalini’s father, and Arun, Nalini’s eight-year-old younger brother, warm up to Paati (Nalini’s grandmother) immediately. However, it is the opposite with Nalini.