On Women: Selected Writings

Well known for his unabashed interest in the fairer sex, Khushwant Singh revelled in the notoriety his interest evoked, almost as much as he did in the response he received from women. Indeed, this enduring obsession provided fodder for some of Singh's bestknown work, both as a journalist and as a peerless raconteur. On Women, a wideranging selection of Singh's writings on the subject, includes Singh's recounting of an embarrassingly drunken meeting with Begum Para, an actress of yesteryears; a sharp profile of Shraddha Mata, a tantric sadhvi who was alleged to have borne Jawaharlal Nehru's illegitimate child; and a touching sketch of Singh's grandmother in the twilight of her life. Also featured in this volume are unforgettable women characters from Khushwant Singh's most popular works of fiction: Georgine, a clueless American teenager who is seduced by a middleaged tour guide in Delhi; and Nooran, a young girl in prePartition Punjab, who discovers the sweet pleasure of first love only to be overtaken by cataclysmic events which leave her adrift. Insightful, poignant, and occasionally wicked, the essays and extracts in On Women are testament to why Khushwant Singh remains one of the most popular writers of our times.