
Gita Mehtas captivating & enchanting novel tells the story of a retired beurocrat who has escaped the world to spend his twilight years running a guest-house on the banks of the countrys holiest river the Narmada. But he has chosen the wrong place for peace & quiet: too many lives converge here & he meets a series of unusual characters including a privileged young executive bewitched by a mysterious lover; a novice Jain monk moving from opulence to poverty; & a woman with a golden voice & a broken heart. As the beurocrat moves from story to story he ponders the meaning of each tale & the potent belief & the dark secrets which the river hides within her.