Vanity Bagh

Vanity Baug is set in a neighbourhood known as “Little Pakistan” in an unnamed Indian city. The story revolves around a gang of five-and-a-half boys—Zulfikar, Zia, Jina, Nawaz, Imran and the half-Yahya. Their role model is Abu Hatim, a notorious underworld don who lives in the neighbourhood but has now grown old. Inspired by his exploits, the boys begin plotting adventures of their own.

This eventually leads to their being used in the series of bomb blasts of 11/11. Imran, who is serving a life sentence for his involvement, narrates the story of himself, his gang and the harrowing ordeal they undergo. The narrative is as serious as it is mischievously humorous.

The novel portrays the disturbing realities of life in a Muslim neighbourhood, the widening divide between Hindu and Muslim communities, and the spreading wildfire of terror. Beneath these events, it explores the deeper layers of the Muslim psyche, lending the novel a distinctive depth and literary significance.