A Man from Motihari

When dapper Aslam, an aspiring writer from a small town of India, who is recovering from a broken relationship accidently meets gorgeous and intelligent Jessica, an actor, activist and ex-pornstar from Los Angeles, they fall hopelessly in love with each other. This novel is about these two unlikely characters and their journeys in the backdrop of the rise of right-wing political forces in India. In this novel, besides telling his story, Aslam, the protagonist, also meditates over his understandings of weighty issues, like national and religious identities, political violence and concept of morality and pure love. Set in the backdrop of the meteoric rise of extreme right-wing politics in India, the novel also takes its readers on a cultural journey of the Indian hinterlands telling them about George Orwell's connection with Motihari, a dust-ridden town of 100,000 which is famous for its sweet mangoes, its criminal politicians, and kidnapping gangs.