Encounters

The friendship of two young men in a small town in Uttar Pradesh falls victim to political unrest in this novel set in the 1990s. The story is told by Rahman after the death of his childhood companion, Saleem, in an altercation with the police. Sorting through his memories of their years growing up, Rahman attempts to make sense of the way politicians turn the law into a tool to divide people and wonders whether he should follow his friend down the often violent road to radicalism.