Book picks similar to
In the Country of Deceit by Shashi Deshpande


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Girl from Fatehpur


Sarita Varma - 2013
    “Sana, you are only a kid…you will soon forget all this. Besides, don’t you also love Shahrukh Khan?”A decade has gone by and Sanjana, now a highflying professional in Mumbai, had thought she was over her childhood crush on Rajan. However, a chance encounter at a family wedding in her hometown Fatehpur re-kindles all her old feelings for him. But what about Krish, her persistent suitor who is also a senior colleague in the office? He just will not take no for an answer! His unexpected arrival in Fatehpur results in heated rivalry between the two men.Will the ensuing tension and misunderstanding put an end to all her hopes of happiness? Her first love Rajan, or Krish, her handsome eligible colleague…who will win Sanjana’s impulsive heart?

Never Say Goodbye


Rajiv Seth - 2012
    It is a story of an extra-marital affair and how it is looked at from a woman’s and a man’s perspective. It is a story of how the field of genetics can affect a person’s thoughts and approaches to ethics in science.The characters in the book are simple at times, complex at the other, but easy to relate with. The story is pacy and delivers unexpected twists at the most unexpected times. Anjali, is a young doctor, who is driven by an urge to do much more than just medicine. An infatuation leads to her marrying a businessman, and into a joint family, where studies and education take second place. Even her husband has a very different outlook to life. They are, literally, moving on different paths in life, and Anjali realises this only when she meets Aakash who, too, is a doctor. From being her mentor, Aakash gradually becomes her soul mate and their relationship reaches a flashpoint as they fight an outbreak of plague in a tiny village in north India. Anjali goes headlong into the relationship, not caring about the consequences but Aakash preaches to her about the strengths of the institution of marriage in India and how extra-marital affairs are, rightly or wrongly, frowned upon in India. Their approaches to the relationship reverse when Anjali gets pregnant with his child. Anjali goes on to study human genetics at an institution in the UK. At the end of the programme, she is entrusted with the task of setting up a laboratory in Shillong to research on therapeutic cloning. The institution is keen on the laboratory being located in a remote place where the laws on cloning research are less stringent than in the UK. Over a few years, without Anjali realising it, the laboratory moves towards successful research into techniques for human cloning. Anjali thinks this is unethical and resists pressure to actually clone a human being.What follows is an emotion-arousing sequence of events. At times you will just love Anjali, and at times you will hate her for the way she relates to people. But that regardless, you will never want to press the pause button until you finish the roller-coaster ride which the author takes you through.

Untruly Yours


Smita Shetty - 2012
    However, behind closed doors, cracks are beginning to appear in her seemingly comfortable relationship with her professionally consumed husband, Rakesh. Although Rakesh seems content with his alpha neatness-fetish-melodramatic wife and bright son; Natasha yearns for romance, passion and excitement. Ironically, the Psychologist husband fails to read between the lines and Natasha is left to her own devices to deal with her unresolved emotions. An unexpected call from India takes her through a journey of self-discovery with her devastatingly handsome work colleague, Steve. She uncovers in some aspects urban India has changed considerably but equally, deep-rooted social issues still prevail in the so called modern, educated, changing society. A chance encounter with her 'blast from the past' - Veer, adds to the emotional rollercoaster ride. Her one-man-woman status of many years has failed to equip her with vital tools to deal with the unanticipated surge of attention from Steve and Veer. As she attempts to master the finer points of courtship, flirtation and seduction; her life spirals out of control. Natasha is compelled to make tough decisions about her love, friendship, marriage and parenthood.

The Rule Breakers


Preeti Shenoy - 2018
    Fast delivery through DHL/FedEx express.

The Calcutta Chromosome


Amitav Ghosh - 1996
    When Antar discovers the battered I.D. card of a long-lost acquaintance, he is suddenly drawn into a spellbinding adventure across centuries and around the globe, into the strange life of L. Murugan, a man obsessed with the medical history of malaria, and into a magnificently complex world where conspiracy hangs in the air like mosquitoes on a summer night.

Glitter and Gloss


Vibha Batra - 2016
    The only hitch in this perfect romance is her prospective sister-in-law who thinks Misha is everything a Bahu shouldn’t be: garrulous, geeky, gawky, gainfully employed (especially the last bit). The questions is will Misha win Didi (and the Kha-Pee Panchayat) over with her Stepford Wife Act? Will she continue to be the poster child for the inherent evils of the Bahu Brigade? Or will she learn to ‘lau’ herself before the whole world and its wife can do the same?

In Custody


Anita Desai - 1984
    An impoverished college lecturer, Deven, sees a way to escape from the meanness of his daily life when he is asked to interview India’s greatest Urdu poet, Nur – a project that can only end in disaster.

No Deadline for Love


Manasi Vaidya - 2011
    She is a perplexed botch, who never thinks before she talks. Megha realises that she fancies the creative course of action involved in making ad films, rather than her current job of creating marketing strategies for products. Her ornery boss is not electrified with the idea of brand managers turning into ad conceptualizing officers, though.Megha then meets the creative head of the company, Yudhistir Joshi. Yudi seems to bring out Megha’s atrocious side. Although he’s an exceptionally good looking man, Megha and Yudi publicly fight and argue. He hates her guts and she vice-versa. Yudi apprises her to quit from the creative team every single time, however, Megha, who’s finally in a blissful atmosphere, refuses to abandon her ecstatic ship. Little does she know that their friction will give way to sparks!Concurrently, ‘Vile’ Varun, Megha’s boss, puts her down in front of his bosses at every opportunity. He claims that she is inadequate for her profile.On the other hand, there is a crowd of eligible NRI bachelors on her list of problems, as Megha’s mother decides to put her up on the marriage market.No Deadline For Love is a first person narrative by the protagonist, Megha. The book reads almost like a journal entry, and is full of icy observations. The occasional hilarious quotes lighten up the reader’s mood, and the elementary pinch in the storyline, apart from her spontaneous description of the events, are the comical nicknames given to characters.

The Palace of Illusions


Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni - 2008
    Narrated by Panchaali, the wife of the legendary Pandavas brothers in the Mahabharat, the novel gives us a new interpretation of this ancient tale. The novel traces the princess Panchaali's life, beginning with her birth in fire and following her spirited balancing act as a woman with five husbands who have been cheated out of their father’s kingdom. Panchaali is swept into their quest to reclaim their birthright, remaining at their side through years of exile and a terrible civil war involving all the important kings of India. Meanwhile, we never lose sight of her strategic duels with her mother-in-law, her complicated friendship with the enigmatic Krishna, or her secret attraction to the mysterious man who is her husbands' most dangerous enemy. Panchaali is a fiery female redefining for us a world of warriors, gods, and the ever-manipulating hands of fate.

Accidental Husband


M.V. Kasi - 2019
    A city bred woman. An accidental marriage. And falling in love...Priya Shankar's life has been planned by her high-achieving mother even before her birth.Things always went by the rigid plan, except three years ago when Priya had met a gorgeous man during her trip to Vegas. A wild, passionate weekend was followed by an impulsive marriage and a hasty divorce.And now, on the verge of accepting the proposal from a man hand-picked by her mother, Priya found out that her divorce hadn't gone through! And that she must make a secretive trip to a small village in India to find the man she had married and have him sign on the divorce papers again.The problem? Arjun Pratap, her accidental husband, doesn't want a divorce! And worse, he's even challenged that within a month, he would change her mind.With stolen kisses in the wide open fields, adventurous tractor rides and camping under the stars--can she resist the sexy farmer who is determined to use every bit of his wicked charms to make her stay married to him?ACCIDENTAL HUSBAND is a lighthearted, hot, sweet & passionate standalone romance.***BOOK EXCERPT***"Arjun. You should sleep here on this big bed. I can--" Before she could finish, he got up and crashed next to her. His weight made her roll towards him. And the moment she made contact, he held her and rolled her on top of him.She was stunned for a few seconds. "I meant for us to switch beds, Arjun! Not for you to join me here!"She tried to roll away from him, but his arms held her hostage. Even in the dark, she could see the white flash of his teeth as he grinned."Stop bending the rules so much. You already kissed me thrice even though I said no touching.""Look who's counting," he teased.Her cheeks heated, and she wanted to snap back. But slowly, she stopped struggling when she felt his hand moving in slow circular motions. Even though her body was thrumming with awareness, there was a sense of ease and comfort lying on top of him.His phone beeped from somewhere, making him sigh. "All right. I've got to go now. So, if you'll give me my morning kiss, I'll be on my way."All of her sleepy and lazy contentment vanished at that statement. "What morning kiss?"Her heart began to pound in sudden anticipation, and she was sure he could feel it as she was lying on top of him."Oh. Did we not discuss that rule? I thought we did." From his devilish grin, it was obvious he was putting on an act."We didn't discuss any such rule." She was supposed to sound stern, but her voice came out breathless once again."Well, I must have forgotten. So, let's add that now. All married couples do it." He pulled her up until their heads were aligned together.She tried to resist. "I don't think it's needed. It's a bad idea.""I disagree. It's a great idea. How else can a married couple stay bonded through their busy lives? I would have preferred good afternoon and good night kisses too, but I'll settle for a daily good morning kiss for now."Before she could say anything, he held her waist and rolled them until she was lying underneath him. All thoughts vanished at seeing the intent look on his face as he came closer. She held her breath, waiting.

I Do! Do I?


Ruchita Misra - 2014
    Time to stop doing silly things and start living happily ever after, right? Well, then maybe someone should tell Kasturi that.This irrepressibly irreverent and not-quite-beaming bride-to-be fumbles through a messy engagement and in a moment of indecision, steps across a line that she should never have been near. To make things worse, her best friends are now nauseatingly mushy star-crossed lovers, her future mother-in-law thinks the kitchen-phobic Kasturi is a fabulous cook, her colleague Padma hates her for no reason, her boss wants medical intervention for her imaginary deafness and her mother has become a cyber-celebrity. This was not the way things were meant to go.Smart, hilarious and utterly unpredictable, I do! do I? will have you at the edge of your seat-unless youve already fallen off it laughing.

Everything I Never Told You


Ajay K Pandey - 2020
    They wanted to be together, but the world saw them as a Hindu and a Muslim before everything else.Roshan failed to convince his father and had to let Soha go. He married Manisha with the hope of moving on, and his life unfolded with a new definition of love. When Anuj was born, theirs was a happy family.Soha walked back into his life after Roshan lost Manisha to cancer.History repeats itself after years, but this time, Roshan decides to not give up. His resolve to convince his son brings him to a point where he will have to make a choice.Will Anuj be able to see someone else in place of his mother?Will Roshan be able to choose between Anuj and Soha?Will Soha be able to set herself free of a love she has nurtured all her life?Everything I Never Told You is a burning reminder that the heart knows no restrictions, and of the boundless power of love.

Messed Up! But All for Love


Arvind Parashar - 2017
    They are a loving anddoting young married couple, living a life of comfort in posh suburbanGurgaon. Neil's fitness consultant Srinya seems to be stirring sometrouble in their lives, though.Drishti is a TV news anchor and journalist and her husband Somesh, atop cop. They are bored of their mundane busy lives, until a chancemeeting with Neil and his friends in Cuba that changes everything.To add sanity and madness to their lives are the funny and mysteriousset of friends - Tom, Jerry, James, Mehr and Antriksha.The havoc ensues when Drishti gets abducted and Neil is framed for it.Gauri finds out some bitter truths and leaves Neil. But what really is thetruth?When facts finally surface, we will know how much these lives areMessed Up! But All for Love.

His Accidental Princess (The Royal Guard #1)


Kyra Seth - 2021
    All she gets is a grumpy cat.All that Maj. Samar Deshmukh has ever wanted was redemption.A chance to break free of the memories that still hold him prisoner. What he gets is having to babysit an accidental princess and her man-eating cat.Sona believes that her life can’t get worse than it already is. And then, she discovers that she is the long-lost princess of Nagaur. Which would be a good thing, if not for the fact that someone is trying to kill her.In this incomprehensible world of snooty royals and their stuffy protocol, Samar is Sona’s only link to reality. And safety.But when she falls head over heels in lust with the surly ex-commando, she realizes that a threat to her life might be the least of her problems.Can Sona ever find happiness with a man who refuses to love her for fear of losing her? His Accidental Princess is an exciting, passionate and funny royal romantic suspense about love and redemption.

I Am Dead But My Heart Beats


Priyank - 2014
    It's about four youngsters from different communities speaking different languages - Aryan, Anshika, Zahid and Swati. Get ready for a heart-breaking journey of a complete real life story.