In 1938 Lahore, Samir Vij, a perfumer, and Firdaus Khan, an illuminator of manuscripts, fall in love amid the fragrant aisles of an ittar shop in Anarkali Bazaar. When the 1947 Partition divides the subcontinent into India and Pakistan, their Hindu-Muslim love story becomes impossible—separated by borders, bound by family duty, and forced to choose between memory and survival. Aanchal Malhotra's debut weaves together intimate moments and sweeping historical change across continents and generations, leaving readers with the lingering trace of a story both tender and heartbreaking.
