“The tale is of two protagonists whose fates become intertwined due to an unfortunate incident which changes both of them forever. The first protagonist is a young Muslim Army officer who is racked by guilt for having caused the death of his mentor in the unforgiving fields of Counter Insurgency. The second protagonist is the young Hindu widow of the mentor, who has a deep dislike bordering on hatred for the young Muslim officer for being the cause of the death of her husband but is propelled towards this very young Muslim officer due to twist of socio-economic circumstances. Thus, they are compelled to cover the rest of their journey of life together. The Novel is in two seamless parts- the first detailing how the young Muslim officer evolves to become the very image of his mentor and the second part details the young widow’s struggle to resist overcoming the chasm of differences but finally giving in to the continuity of life and her physical needs. The shared common history of the nation and the dead but omnipresent mentor act as the catalyst to bring them together.” “The story line meanders in and out of from the present into the history – ancient to recent; with each protagonist evaluating their own understanding of the history and its effect on their life and way of living. Thus, the book has a significant sprinkling of history, religions especially Hinduism and its concept of Dharma, its effect on the invaders through the long history of India and India’s present syncretic character.”