Once Upon a Forest & Other Stories

Suddenly she heard a scratching sound and turned around quickly. The kalij pheasant, both male and female, appeared before her on the path. A few small chicks followed. At any other time, Naina would have been overjoyed at this amazing sight but now she just gave them a brief, anxious glance, willing them to go away.

Bulbul Sharma takes the reader on a lively adventure through this incredible forest of stories, filled with quirky characters and some heart-stopping moments.

Take a look at what unfolds after Naina spots the illusive kalij on a birding expedition with her children; whether Jo finds the peace she is craving for, as she hurtles down the mountainside, among the mighty deodars; how the fifty-something Sudha breaks the news of befriending a perfect stranger to her family; or why Nirmala’s competitive mother-in-law finally declares a truce from their daily culinary battles.

From talking to trees to moonlight madness, from constant cravings to messy divorces; a misadventure in a massage parlour and more, Sharma combines her talent for description and gift for characterisation with a gentle humour in this collection of 15 stories that celebrates women rediscovering life and love.