Once Upon A Curfew
Set against the turbulent backdrop of 1974, this novel follows Indu as she inherits her grandmother's flat and envisions transforming it into a sanctuary for women readers. Her parents regard the project as a pleasant distraction before her arranged marriage to Rajat, currently absorbed in his studies across the Atlantic. Then Rana arrives. A lawyer brimming with charm and unexpected depths, he becomes both collaborator and companion. Their connection crackles with witty exchanges and stolen moments watching classic Hindi cinema, turning the library project into something neither anticipated. When the Emergency declaration shatters the nation's stability, everything shifts violently. Rana faces legal peril whilst Rajat jets back from London, eager to formalise their union. Caught between duty and desire, between the safety of convention and the pull of genuine connection, Indu confronts an impossible reckoning. She must choose not merely between two men, but between two fundamentally different versions of herself. Chaudhary weaves political upheaval with intimate emotional conflict, creating a story where personal stakes feel desperately real. The novel captures how external chaos can clarify what truly matters, and how sometimes the bravest decision is simply to honour one's own heart.
- Author: Srishti Chaudhary
- Publisher: Ebury Press
- Genre: Historical Fiction
- ISBN: 978-0143445968
- Pages: 304 pages