The Fourth Passenger

Book excerpt: Set in Mumbai during the Hindu-Muslim conflict of the early 1990s, The Fourth Passenger is the story of four women raised with traditional Indian values, whose partnership give them the temerity to stand up against religious extremism. Having reached their thirties and disillusioned with their lives and husbands, their decision to open an urban food stand is mingled with their memories of a distant past when two of them loved the same man. But, in order to establish their fledgling business, they must contend with individual temperament, extortionists, ruthless competitors, and most importantly, the prevailing religious intolerance.