‘And perhaps those whose hearts are filled with darkness, whose characters have no goodness, whose hands are stained with blood, whose eyes are filled with cruelty, whose self-respect is wounded at every stage of life, perhaps those people have a greater need of Heaven than the good. For only light can dispel darkness and only those hands that have blood on them can be raised in a prayer for forgiveness. But you take only those who are already beautiful, whose hearts are already pure, and those whose hearts are burning with sin and evil, those you send to Hell. Does that fulfil your intention?’- From a poignant story where God visits Mumbai and is deeply challenged by what he sees.
Maya Nagari: Bombay-Mumbai, A City in Stories, edited by Shanta Gokhale and Jerry Pinto, is a compelling anthology that captures the heart and soul of one of the world’s most iconic cities. This fascinating collection contains some of the best writers down the ages from Manto, Krishan Chander, Ambai and Ismat Chugtai, to Baburao Bagul, and Anuradha Kumar, Jerry Pinto and Shanta Gokhale; all excellent in their observations and their craft. The writing is evocative and richly descriptive. The authors succeed in painting vivid pictures of Mumbai’s landscapes and the lives of its inhabitants.