Cactus Country

Aslam Chisti, a young Pakistani officer, is faced with a difficult choice war explodes, tearing apart his country…. As tanks and soldiers prowl through East Pakistan, which is fighting to emerge as a sovereign nation: Bangladesh, Chisti who has been posted to the war zone, is taken prisoner by Bangladeshi guerrillas. To further complicate matters, the young officer falls in love with the enemy ? the beautiful daughter of a Bengali princess in whose mansion Chisti is placed under house arrest…. In this novel Manohar Malgonkar gives us an enthralling tale of love, valour, manhood and the brutalities of war. About The Author: Manohar Malgonkar (1913-2010) was born in a royal family, which had its roots in Goa. After graduating from Mumbai University, he served in the Maratha Light Infantry. A big-game hunter turned conservationist, civil servant, mine owner and farmer and farmer, he also stood for Parliament in the early seventies. The socio-historical milieu of those times ? the build-up to independence and its aftermath ? forms the backdrop of his works, which are full of action and adventure, reflective in some way of his own life. His works span all genres from novels to biographies to history books including A Bend in the Ganges (Roli Books) and Combat of Shadows (forthcoming; Roli Books). Table Of Contents First Things First In the Shadow of the Dog’s Grave The Upstairs House A Lesson in Music Officers and Gentlemen Bibi Miriam Calls Out Spook Business When Tomorrow is Today Pigeons Flying Noises in the Dark Beautiful Weapons of War What are Old Soldiers Made of