Gulmohar on Fire and Other Stories
Author: Mohinder Bhatnagar
Book Review by
Dr. Devinder Pal Singh
Author: Mohinder Bhatnagar
Book Review by
Dr. Devinder Pal Singh
Book Name: Gulmohar on Fire and Other Stories
Author: Mohinder Bhatnagar
ISBN: 978-93-49761-18-6
Edition: 2025; Price: INR 200
Publisher: Saptrishi Publication, Chandigarh
Book Reviewer: Dr. Devinder Pal Singh, Director, Canbridge Learning, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
A Subtle Symphony of the Ordinary and the Profound
Mohinder Bhatnagar’s Gulmohar on Fire and Other Stories is a graceful anthology that captures the intimate complexities of modern Indian life through narratives that are at once ordinary, emotional, and deeply philosophical. The stories unfold in familiar settings, such as schools, homes, offices, and quiet balconies. Yet, they transcend their locales to probe the essence of human relationships, loneliness, and the quiet dignity of everyday existence.
The Foreword by Prof. D. N. Jauhar sets the reflective tone of the book, situating Bhatnagar as a writer deeply sensitive to the rhythms of everyday life. Rather than sensationalism or plot twists, his interest lies in the emotional cadence of human experience, love unspoken, kindness misunderstood, loneliness masked by humour. The Preface by Anju Arora further clarifies his intent: these stories are not fabricated fables but distilled fragments of real encounters and observations, reimagined through an artistic lens. The author writes as one who has lived among his characters, teachers, retirees, parents, bureaucrats, and observed their lives with affection and insight.
Gulmohar on Fire and Other Stories is an evocative anthology of thirteen short stories by Mohinder Bhatnagar, a seasoned storyteller, whose prose straddles the fragile border between realism and reflection. Each story is steeped in human emotion: love, loss, irony, and redemption woven with a simplicity that belies its depth. The author’s craftsmanship lies in transforming the mundane into the memorable and the ordinary into the universal.
The first story, “Heavens Don’t Fall,” is perhaps the most lyrical and poignant piece in the collection. A lawyer’s chance meeting with a blind client reveals that she is his long-lost love, Sneha. Without melodrama, Bhatnagar captures the aching beauty of missed chances and enduring affection. The letter that closes the story, “After all, heavens don’t fall even when the purest of hearts break, is a masterpiece of emotional understatement. This story alone would cement Bhatnagar’s place among contemporary Indian storytellers who understand that silence often speaks louder than words.
The following story, “After the Break,” draws the reader into the life of Rakhi Chopra, a newly transferred teacher, and her colleague Rajinder Singh (Gianijee). What begins as an uncomfortable workplace encounter unfolds into a tender parable about misunderstanding, loneliness, and mortality. The revelation of Gianijee’s illness and his posthumous letter transform the story from social realism to spiritual reflection. Bhatnagar’s understated narrative style, simple yet emotionally piercing, reminds one of R.K. Narayan’s gentleness and Mulk Raj Anand’s compassion.
“Gulmohar on Fire,” the title story, stands out for its emotional intensity and quiet realism. It portrays an elderly couple grappling with betrayal and love in their twilight years. Their dialogue about a squirrel’s nest becomes a profound meditation on home, sacrifice, and aging. The crimson gulmohar blossoms outside their balcony mirror the hues of pain, resilience, and acceptance, a visual metaphor for the embers of love that refuse to die even when trust is tested.
The next story, “Doggy Tales,” is a nostalgic yet humorous story that juxtaposes childhood memories with adult irony. Through the narrator’s relationship with his dog, Cheenu, and the surprise reappearance of his old schoolmate, Kamlesh Kumar (“KK”), as a vet, the author explores friendship, mortality, and evolution with delightful wit. The closing reflection: “Man is no more going to the dogs; it is the other way round,” is quintessential Bhatnagar: playful on the surface, philosophical beneath.
“Sanju’s Kite” is perhaps the most poetic of the collection. This story about old Idris and little Sanju explores grief through a child’s imagination. When the boy asks Idris to make a kite to deliver a letter to his late mother in heaven, the story soars into allegory. The ending, where the kite-maker dies with the letter in his pocket, is both heart-wrenching and sublime: a testament to love that transcends worlds.
“Norish Bhai” is a moving tale of human compassion set against the raw, rain-soaked streets of 1960s Bombay. Through vivid realism and tender irony, the story transforms a drunkard into a symbol of selfless goodness. The writing is evocative and cinematic, capturing poverty, pride, and unexpected grace with emotional depth and remarkable narrative simplicity.
“My Obituary” is darkly comic and self-reflective. This piece is a satire on mortality and ego. The protagonist, a retired man preparing his own obituary, exposes the absurdity of human vanity even in death. Full of wit, irony, and philosophical humour, it recalls Woody Allen’s existential humour but retains an Indian flavour through Punjabi idiom and cultural nuance. Bhatnagar reminds readers that life’s end can be met not with despair, but with wit, love, and a sense of completion.
“The Angels” is a profoundly moving story that bridges two generations of faith and humanity amid the fires of communal violence. Through parallel episodes: Rasool Khan in 1947 and Labh Singh in 1990, the narrative illuminates the divinity within compassion. Written with emotional clarity and historical realism, it celebrates courage, sacrifice, and the timeless goodness of the human spirit.
Set during the Partition, The Whirlwind tells the moving story of Jameel, a young boy torn between two nations. With cinematic vividness, Bhatnagar portrays how innocence is crushed under historical violence. The narrative’s moral complexity: the Hindu Chaudhry’s compassion for a Muslim child, reminds one of Manto’s humanism, yet in a gentler, more redemptive tone.
“The Smoke Screen” is a masterfully layered tale of friendship, ambition, love, and moral deceit. What begins as a nostalgic village reminiscence turns into a gripping revelation of crime hidden beneath heroism. With subtle irony and emotional restraint, the story exposes how appearances deceive and how virtue can wear a mask, leaving readers unsettled yet deeply reflective.
The following story, “Meet the New PM,” is a sharply comic, gentle satire of ambition and sudden celebrity. Through warm, human details and deadpan irony, the narrator’s imagined ascent to premiership exposes vanity, yearning, and bureaucratic absurdity. Playful, poignant, and vividly observed, the tale skewers delusions of grandeur while celebrating ordinary hopes and small, everyday ironies with gentle warmth and sly, urbane humour.
“The Taming of God” is a deeply human story of cruelty, loss, faith, and redemption. Through Newton’s transformation from a violent atheist to a believer touched by grace, the narrative explores the mysteries of suffering and divine love. Vividly written and emotionally resonant, it moves from brutality to spiritual beauty, revealing how faith can heal even the hardest hearts.
The last story, “The Punishment,” is a moving portrait of Master Data Ram: a stern, old-fashioned teacher whose faith in discipline borders on cruelty until one tragic mistake awakens his humanity. The story masterfully contrasts rigidity and repentance, blending humour, pathos, and moral depth. Its poignant ending transforms a feared disciplinarian into a symbol of remorse, humility, and divine grace. The story’s emotional crescendo is reminiscent of Premchand’s ethical realism, but with modern psychological depth.
Bhatnagar’s style is lucid, elegant, and unpretentious. His English retains a subtle Indian rhythm, a blend of conversational realism and moral introspection. The dialogue feels authentic, often tinged with irony and tenderness. Many stories open with quotations from classical or religious texts (the Bible, Shakespeare, Marcus Aurelius, Kahlil Gibran, Woody Allen and Gandhi), giving them a philosophical frame. The publication quality by Saptrishi Publication is commendable, with clean formatting, consistent typography, and a visually striking cover that complements the reflective tone of the book.
Gulmohar on Fire and Other Stories is a compassionate, intelligent, and profoundly humane collection. Mohinder Bhatnagar emerges as a storyteller of the old school: sensitive, moral, and keenly observant of life’s quiet tragedies. His stories traverse generational bonds, ethical dilemmas, and the eternal human yearning for connection.
It is a book to be read slowly, and remembered long after the last page.
