A City Happens in Love (Ishq Mein Shahar Hona)

Sparkling stories of love, longing and heartbreak in the city by Ravish Kumar, journalist, TV anchor and bestselling author of The Free Voice

A boy from Bihar living in Lajpat Nagar likes a momo-seller from the Northeast; she likes him too, but when he gifts her a token from his village, his dreams come crashing down. Samar travels with his beloved in a DTC bus in Delhi, the only space in the city where they can meet, but he’s afraid to call out her name for fear it will be recognized. A couple shelters from rain underneath a flyover, hoping for a moment of seclusion, but staring eyes pour water on their dreams. And a girl lets herself into her lover’s rented room, finds a bunch of letters from his past flames, and leaves him an unusual farewell note. 

In these crisp, powerful, micro stories, the celebrated journalist, TV anchor and writer Ravish Kumar brings alive the love, longing and heartbreak which flourish in the city’s spaces. And even as lovers find the niches they need, the city itself shapes their relationships. 

Brilliantly translated from the bestselling Hindi original Ishq Mein Shahar Hona, A City Happens in Love is a tribute to the modern Indian city, its capaciousness, and to the power of love.