Suryakant's life begins to unravel as he is forced to quit his government job. To get temporary financial relief, he decides to work for a Ramjoar Pandey and trace his lineage. The journey takes Suryakant back to Sultanpur, his hometown and his estranged family. The past slips in and out, as in a dream, and the future congeals into a mass of anxiety and fear. Set in the badlands of Uttar Pradesh, the men and women in the book are faced with ruthlessness,...