The Rickshaw Reveries

Book excerpt: A rickshaw puller's feral lust will lead him to a metamorphosis so bizarre no one will believe him. A scrap metal collector's life is changed dramatically by a piece of metal. A local perfumer holds the power of love, lust, death and life in his attars. A gay man finds himself being drawn to a djinn in the ruins of an old Delhi fort. A sculptor brings his dead love back to life, but with unexpected results. With stories that are both terrifying and enticing, The Rickshaw Reveries takes one into the bizarre and fantastic, while exploring Delhi's many subterranean truths. Delinquents, drug peddlers, rickshaw wallas, and Khan Market diplomats – all find themselves at home here. A bold debut collection, this is Delhi at its primal best.