Khuswant Singh

I finished reading a CLASSIC, COMPLETE & UNABRIDGED book containg 4 books together. The books are ;

1. Train To Pakistan
2. I Shall Not Hear The Nightingale
3. Delhi
4. Burial At Sea

Train To Pakistan : A very good book. Best amongst the 4. The story is based on a fictious village Mano Majra which is located in Punjab India Pakistan border. The residents of this village mainly consists of the Sikhs, who own almost all the land, the Muslims, who work for the Sikhs & only 1 single Hindu family. The village is like any other village & has a railway station on which trains hardly arrive or depart. The villagers guess the time during the night or the day time by the few trains which arrive, depart or pass through Mano Majra railway station. All is going well when the partition by the leaving British of India into 2 is announced. India would then be divided into the land of Hindus - Hindustan & land of Muslims - Pakistan. Mano Majra being in Hindustan, all the Muslims decide to leave against their wishes, for Pakistan. Whilst the transfer of people to their land, riots break of bringing train loads of dead people at Mano Majra station. A magistrate comes to Mano Majra to prevent riots & disharmony in the village & at last succeeds in preventing the killings  of the Mano Majra Muslims in the train which carried them. The story is beautiful & depicts a lot of emotions which occurred during the partition. Also it projects a small love story between a Sikh boy & a Mussalman girl.

I Shall Not Hear The Nightingale :  The novel is based between 1942 - 1943. The entire story revolves around the family of Majistrate Buta Singh, his  wife Sabhrai, son Sher Singh & daughter Beena. Around this time the Britishers are planning to leave India making her independent in the near future. I am just guessing why the name of the book is I Shall Not Hear The Nightingale.

Delhi : The book gives the history of Delhi & is divided into the present & past times. The author has put a lot of vulgarity & sex in the book which is needed as well as not needed. Without sex the book would not have been interesting & after reading majority of the book one would find sex boring.

Burial At Sea : I finished the book in 1 day. Not a khas book. Its is based on a business tycoon whose life revolves around work & his family. He loves his daughter Bharati. At a time when he finds a true love in the form of his life partner he is killed.