Jugalbandi by Debasish Pathak [Hardcover]

"Between two covers lies the untold life stories of an empress and an emperor. They are not contemporaries, nor do they rule over the same domain. Yet, through the lens of time, the sharp queen of the snowy lands of Kashmir, Didda, and the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir seem to converge at a single point. Both bear the stigma of familial killings, both are steeped in the bitterness of filial discord. Yet, dismissing all accusations with disdain, both take firm control of their reigns. In the twilight of their lives, both are enveloped by the solitude of isolation. Neither finds a hand to hold or a shoulder to rest on in their life’s journey.

Amidst the blood feasts, palace conspiracies, provocations of religious scholars, and the departure of loved ones, their lives move forward. Quietly, two undeniable and glorious chapters of Indian history are created. This historical narrative is served in the cup of a novel."