Publisher's Synopsis
'A Whiff of Rotten Tomatoes and Other Tales' is a collection of stories set in contemporary India. These unconventional stories deal with unusual situations in the lives of characters who are themselves far from common.'A Rat's Tale': What began with an accidental entry of a little mouse in Sharma's apartment leads to its colonization by the rats, and eventually to an apocalyptic event in their newly formed kingdom.'A Whiff of Rotten Tomatoes': During a nostalgic visit to a neighbourhood in which he was brought up, Ravi comes across a supermarket in what used to a non-descript back-lane. A whiff of rotten tomatoes in its fresh-food section sets a chain of memories in his mind leading to a cathartic experience.'Navroj Faltufundwala': Navroj, a mid-level executive in a company in Bombay, always comes out with ideas that are ahead of his times but he gets nothing but ridicule in return, apart from a sobriquet 'Faltufundwala', or a 'good for nothing'. Yet even his critics seem actually to respect him in their heart.'The Trek to X-Peak': An arduous climb through a pine forest overlooking mesmerizing snow covered mountains leads to a near mystical experience bringing out the best as well as the worst in two amateur trekkers.'Bobby and the Dog': A poignant tale about a young boy in which distrust and fear of dogs instilled into his young mind from people around him seem to outweigh his innate affection for a friendly street dog.'The Staff Car Driver': Ramsingh is a staff car driver, whose outward boorish and uncouth persona hides a noble person, a man of character. His boss, who initially has a very low opinion of him, is overwhelmed with surprises as his personality unfolds itself before him.
