Aaliya by Bhaswar Chatterjee [Hardcover]

Aaliya Demianiuk, of Ukranian descent, gets married to the son of the prominent Basu family of Kolkata. But on the night of the wedding, lightning strikes without clouds! Aliya's father, Marco Demianiuk, has been arrested by the Israeli police. Why? What is his crime? Aaliya is a spirited Kashmiri girl, a resident of Srinagar. Her best friend, Tara, belongs to a Kashmiri Pandit family. As the political and communal landscape of Kashmir starts to change,Shahid, the boy next door, joins Yasin Malik's group, and overnight, they become involved in militant terrorism. To teach the Hindu Pandits a lesson, Yasin's gang takes little Tara away. Can Aaliya save her friend from the clutches of ruthless terrorists? Two 'Aaliyas' in different parts of the country. What connects them? Bhaswar Chatterjee, celebrated actor, has artfully illuminated the tumultuous landscapes of Ukraine and Kashmir, seamlessly weaving them into the narrative, all while anchoring the novel in themes of friendship and love. A poignant, heart-wrenching novel of intertwined destinies.