To Each His Stranger: Islands in the Stream

To Each his Stranger Ajñeya To Each His Stranger revolves around two complex characters who are trapped under an avalanche deep in the mountains. They have their differences, yet they have to resolve them in an amicable way as there is no escape from each other for the entire winter. As they spend more time together, they begin to understand one another. Selma is an old woman, who seems to have become apathetic to her own plight as she suffers from cancer. On the other hand, Jokke, is a young woman, who has a fiery temper, which she is occasionally tempted to take out on Selma. At times, she is tolerant of her and they make each other happy and calm. The prolific author has woven the interplay of diametrically opposite personalities and the hopelessness at the sense of entrapment like never before. Islands in the Stream Ajñeya s Islands in the Stream or Nadi Ke Dwip questions the traditional convictions and focuses on the characters; their psychology as well as their relations with the society in a very poetic manner. The novel narrates the story of Bhuvan, a young free lancer, who after being bitten by intense love of Rekha, a socialite, joins the Second World War and does not even know if he would ever return alive to marry Gaura, the girl of Rekha s choice. The philosophy of the novel is that the greatest joy of life lies in the non-fulfillment rather than that of fulfillment ! Bhuvan, the central characters says, Let beautiful aspects remain beautiful! Do not touch them. They ll be spoiled .