An Unholy Drought

The year is 1556 CE. Humayun has died, and his thirteen-year-old son and

heir, Akbar, must battle to save his throne, even as a drought devastates the

northern plains. Against this backdrop, an old man documents the story of his

family-his ancestors and himself-beginning a hundred years earlier, when a

teenager in Dilli discovers the true nature of his best friend.

As the sprawling family saga unfolds, empires rise and fall, dynasties come and

go, and generations pass, each with a rich cast of characters shaped by forces

beyond their control; by desire, love and betrayal.

Like Qasim, who, wracked by the guilt he inherited from his irresponsible

father, embarks on an all-consuming search for an elusive heirloom, while his

pragmatic wife, Aabida, holds the family together as breadwinner-using her

embroidery skills to set up a brocade workshop. Two generations later, young

Zubair finds himself torn between his family duty-the workshop established

by his grandmother-and his secret longing for a mysterious insurgent,

which will spell disaster for him and his family. Years later, his son, Nadeem,

will choose his passion for calligraphy over brocade, only enduring the family

business because of his love for Zarina, a talented naqshband-the artist who

makes the exquisite designs for the tapestry.

Spanning a century and a half, from the early 1400s to 1556, An Unholy Drought

weaves an intricate tale of varied characters-their joys and sorrows-in

Delhi, the phoenix city, as it transitions from the last days of the Sultanate to

the dawn of the Mughal Empire. Rich with human drama and period detail,

this sequel to The Garden of Heaven is the second book in the acclaimed Delhi

Quartet series, and an absolute page-turner.