শিশমহল সায়ন্তনী পুটাতুন্ডা

Kashmir, an earthly paradise filled with celestial beauty. No one has been mesmerized or excited by its beauty. But is there truly no stain on the picture-perfect Kashmir? *Shishmahal* does not speak of Kashmir repeatedly appearing on the silver screen as a romantic paradise. This novel tells the story behind the beauty - of a blemished history. It is the tale of Kashmir's wounds, its pain, despair, and above all, its helplessness. It is the story of a "no man's land," where people, standing on its soil, discover with a strange "vulnerable astonishment" how powerless they truly are. Beauty - like a nightmare - chases them in this Kashmir. This is the narrative of that "hellish paradise" - *Shishmahal*.