She wants to celebrate Christmas by giving back to Sinful’s most unappreciated citizens—the town’s elementary school teachers. Handing down an AOO, also known as the Arceneaux Official Order, Celia calls upon friends and foes to carry out her plans. Gertie and Ida Belle are willing to help, but Fortune doesn’t share their enthusiasm. Taking a temporary post at the school library, the former CIA assassin braces for Christmas and everything the season holds. From trimming trees to snow on the ground, Sinful residents will celebrate a Christmas to remember. That is, until small town Louisiana makes national headlines thanks to a school shooting that isn’t what it seems.

    

    

    Babu of Bhokarwadi dons the mantle of magician (‘Jadugaar’) to prove this point! Bajaba makes a complaint about a robbery in the hotel; but then also gives a written submission that the theft never took place (‘Chori zalich nahi’)! Fed up with the local politics (‘Gavgundi’), the newlyappointed lady teacher decides to quit her job and leave the village! Babu and Chengtya too face the same travails (‘Vanvaas’) as Rama had to. The Government issued an Ordinance legalizing corruption (‘Bhrashtaachar’); but this only serves to double Balu’s workload since he is a government servant! Bapu Patil did complete the adoption formalities (‘Dattakvidhi’) for his son, but Babu and Chengta manage to mess things up! Dagadu Gawali one conducts the class (‘Taas’) otherwise taken by the Std. IV Maths teacher who took pleasure in caning the boys! Siva Jamdade, Rama Kharat, Gana Mastar, Nana Chengat, and Babu Pailwan go for a picnic (‘Company’)! Fun…Irony…Advice…Sharp criticism…and tragedy too…such is the nature of this collection of stories.

    Years later, now a newspaper reporter, she returns to gain a deeper understanding of the lives of sex workers.Daughters of the Red Light is a searing look at the poverty, injustice and stigma that keep entire families from escaping India's notorious sex industry. Seervai takes readers to Mumbai’s grittiest alleyways to discover the stories of these women and girls. As she unravels the brutal web entangling them, she finds an unexpected reason for hope. ABOUT THE AUTHORShanoor Seervai is an Indian writer and journalist. Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Daily Beast, Guernica Magazine, The Caravan and The Indian Express. Born and raised in Mumbai, she now lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she is pursuing an advanced degree in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.EARLY PRAISE FOR DAUGHTERS OF THE RED LIGHT"This is a meaningful and important piece of writing that contributes in a significant way toward understanding the lives of sex workers and their families and how we might help alleviate their marginalization and suffering. Shanoor Seervai's book shows you the humanity of the mothers and children in the red light district, as she takes you on her journey of discovery into their world and her place in the world at large. It gave me new insight into the lives of the sex workers and their children, and how the tireless work of some offers real hope—the greatest gift of all."— Geeta Anand, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of The Cure"Most writing about India's underbelly treats people as passive victims. It is far too easy to find stories of misery in Indian cities and hold them up as one-dimensional examples of the country's uneven progress. Shanoor Seervai does not do cutouts. She dives into the world of Mumbai's sex workers, introducing us to real women with families and dreams we recognize. She brings the reader along for her journey, which is journalistic as well as personal, as she navigates the gender norms and class divides of urban India with sharp observations and true empathy. I've been visiting Mumbai all my life and feel I understand it better having read this heartfelt work."— Shashank Bengali, South Asia bureau chief, Los Angeles Times"A thought-provoking headlong dive into a little known culture."— Sonia Faleiro, Award-winning author of Beautiful Thing: Inside the Secret World of Bombay’s Dance Bars."With this honest and insightful memoir, Shanoor Seervai peels back a tattered curtain to reveal the complex and brutal world of Mumbai’s commercial sex trade. Through her eyes, we begin to really see the women — and children — behind the makeup. Through her journey we are challenged to consider our common humanity; and our own, personal response to the injustices that land (and keep) millions of the world’s most vulnerable children in the hell we call the 'Red Light.'"— Laura Entwistle, Founder and CEO of EmancipAction, an international non-profit organization working to end child sex trafficking around the world

    His life changes when he meets a stranger one fateful night and is enamoured by her.ANAMIKA is a mystery, who is searching for herself. She tells Kabir her story, but on the condition that they would never meet again. The night ends, but their story has just begun!Their paths cross again, but Anamika disappears. With no clue about where she is, Kabir is lost and disheartened.To what extent will Kabir go to find Anamika? What is Anamika hiding from him? Will they meet again?Read this electrifying tale of destiny, love and courage to know more about The Girl I Met that Night.

    Long Paw Of The Law Welcome to Comfortville, a quaint little town nestled inland from the Pacific coast. Ashley Crane is busy nursing a broken heart, working tirelessly as a cook, and hanging out with her family and best friends when her boss at the restaurant is murdered. At first the investigation is left to Nathaniel Thompson, the local handsome police detective. But when Thompson arrests the wrong suspect, Ashley takes the investigation into her own hands. Solving the case won't be easy. She'll need help from her parents April and Burt, her best friends Sean and Lara, and her cute and clever cat Charlie. It's up to Ashley Crane to find the real murderer in Comfortville before they strike again. Long Paw Of The Law 2 The second book in The Long Paw of the Law series finds Ashley Crane putting her life back together after solving the crime at her old restaurant. But on the night of her first catering job, the owner of the company is murdered. When the local police detective arrests someone whom Ashley believes is the wrong suspect, she decides to find the real killer herself. Cracking the case is a puzzle, but with her clever cat Charlie, she turns up some clues that lead her down a dizzying path to uncover the truth. Will she find the real murderer before it’s too late and restore a sense of calm to Comfortville? Long Paw Of The Law 3 The small town of Comfortville has returned to a peaceful haven after being rocked by two separate murders. Ashley Crane is occupied with her catering career, and her boyfriend, Sean, is busy running his popular bakery, Babycakes. One day while cleaning out her parents' attic, Ashley discovers newspaper articles about a twenty-five-year-old cold case involving the murder of a local businessman's wife. Soon she learns from the local detective, Nate Thompson, that a new investigator is in town to help discover what happened in the past. Dark secrets begin to surface, and when Ashley's uncle is nearly murdered, she becomes determined to find out who the real killer was years ago. With her cat Charlie's help, and a new friend who warns her about impending danger, Comfortville's dark underbelly is exposed again. Is time finally running out for Ashley and her safety? Long Paw Of The Law 4 All Ashley Crane wants is a simple and relaxing vacation with her fiancé, Sean. They leave their home of Comfortville in the leafy green northwest and embark on an exciting trip to the southwest desert. The sights, sounds, and unique landscape of their destination instantly enchant them. But no sooner do they settle down in their cabin than a murder happens overnight on a nearby mesa. At first, Ashley wants to leave the investigation to the authorities and just relax, but the history of the local people and the events leading up to the shocking murder pull her and Sean into the case. Without the usual support from her beloved cat, family, and friends, can Ashley help bring the guilty party to justice, or will their vacation turn fatal?

    With many job offers in hand, Neera is in a quandary about the choice she has to make. A brilliant scholar who secured his Ph.D. at the young age of twenty-six, Dr. Prakash Rao has had a long-standing relationship with crime and espionage from his college days. In a riveting tale of crime, perseverance, valiance, and quick-wit, The Invisible Protectors is about the resolve of these two agents as they delve into the truth behind the death of three Indian spies. Though they died in accidents, the Agency believes they were murdered.

    

    He’s a rich successful businessman, however, and she’s a small-town girl who doesn’t fit into his glittering world; a fact that Abhimanyu’s mother has taken pains to point out.Will they ever overcome the odds, or are their lives on parallel tracks, never destined to cross?

    Can you imagine Draupadi in a Brothel house? How did she end there and who is responsible for that? Read this short story to meet her and know about her life.

    She begins to rebuild her life by focusing on a career. She is hired by Sharma Industries to avert the company’s collapse. Aditya, heir to Sharma Industries returns to India from the United States and moves right into Kirthi’s lonely and depressed heart, offering her a life she only dreamed about. Constrained by the oppressive taboo preventing all widows from remarrying, Kirthi struggles with the haunting question: would Aditya love her if he knew? Brought together by work, drawn closer through friendship, pulled apart by cultural taboos, their love shatters prejudice and offers hope.

    Neither of those works, however, undertakes to give a detailed account of the great Anarchy that marked the conclusion of the eighteenth century, the dark time that came before the dawn of British power in the land of the Moghul.

    The remarkable story of the brand that was able to pull off the near-impossible challenge of integrating itself into the food habits of a nation strongly habituated to eating indigenous sweets is recounted here. It is a behind-the-scenes look at the Cadbury Dairy Milk journey in India over the last six decades.