Chinar Gachher Chhaya by Binod Ghoshal [Hardcover]

Chinar Gacher Chhaya (The Shade of the Chinar Tree) – Aheli travels to Kashmir with her mother and father. Her mother is battling cancer. One day, while sitting under the shade of a Chinar tree in Nishat Bagh, Aheli notices a gentleman engrossed in writing a novel. They converse for a long time. Later, when she tries to introduce this writer, Mr. Sambit, to her parents, she discovers something astonishing: Sambit and her mother, Anamika, are utterly stunned to see each other. They recognize one another. Seeing Sambit, Anamika drifts into memories of a day thirty years ago. What happened back then? How did they know each other? And why does Anamika want Aheli to stay away from Sambit?

Buni Shihul – This story tugs at the heartstrings, both warming and breaking it. Bhutai works on clearing jungles for the Mirpara Panchayat. Despite being poor, he is content with the little he has, living in a garage. On the other hand, there’s Tiya, who lives with her mother in a tiny house beside a secluded bamboo grove. She works at Mangal’s hotel. That’s where Bhutai and Tiya first meet. As they see each other every day, love quietly begins to bloom between them.

One day, they spot a poster for Shah Rukh Khan's movie Mohabbatein, and both feel an intense desire to watch it. The next day, while watching the movie, they are mesmerized by the sight of a soft, fiery-red leaf on screen. They later learn it’s a Chinar leaf, a tree found only in Kashmir. From that moment, they start preparing in every possible way for a trip to Kashmir. Did they ultimately fulfill their dream?