The Three Innocents, & Ors.

This delightful anthology offers us a rare glimpse into a less known aspect of Ismat Chughtai’s writing—the warmth, humour and affection with which she writes on childhood. Shedding all the certainties of an adult she steps into a child’s shoes, looks upon the world with an unjaundiced eye, and presents us with scrapes, situations and sentiments that are refreshing in their candour. As she says to three innocents in her title story, “The pranks you engage in today are no different from the ones we played yesterday... So what advice can I give you? Actually, I look upon you as very interesting advice meant for me!” This is Chughtai at her disarming best!