Crosssword drew me in to hunt for this book. Once Ms Banu Musthaq's name was all over the press for her tremendous recognition by the literary world, I couldn't stop myself from wanting to read "Heart Lamp". We still read heart-wrenching news about the injustices committed against women in India every single day. Irrespective of their backgrounds, walks of life and status, patriarchy spared none. Especially for those who are in a minority where religion dictates their way of life, every living moment is a fight for survival. Existence becomes a daily job filled with compromises and delusions.  These short stories leave long impressions. They made me take long breaks for the sake of my own sanity. Each one required a recovery period of two days to say the least. Mind you, none of these felt fictitious. It can't be. "Heart Lamp" and "Be a woman once, Oh Lord!" were the hardest to finish. From being moved to tears to immediately chuckling at the...