If the son of a king decides to spend one year among his subjects disguised as a common man, does his mode of thought differs from that of others? The answer will be affirmative so long as he remembers his connection with the king. What's the nature of that difference? Then does that thought, that awareness, have any bearing on his attitude to life and on his daily activities? While living his one year term as a common man, he may be unjustly accused of theft and be convicted by a pliant judiciary. Should he accept that verdict as a common man or declare his connection to escape punishment? These are the questions that trouble Lambu whose life-story forms the spine of this novel. He wrestles with this magnificent obsession and begins to believe that these two questions confront each individual in different forms always and everywhere demanding an answer. Human drama with all its laughter and tears and meditations on human condition unfolds as the story moves forward held together by the central metaphor of the Prince in Disguise.
About the Author: Dharanidhar Sahu (b. 1948) was educated at Ravenshaw College, Cuttack and Utkal University, Vani Vihar, Bhubaneswar. He was awarded Ph.D. in English Literature in 1985. A collection of his Oriya poems was published in 1980. His book Cats on a Hot Tin Roof: A Study of the Alienated Characters in the Plays of Williams was published by Academic Foundation, New Delhi in 1990. Dr. Sahu has published two novels in English. His first novel The House of Serpents, jointly published by Orient Longman, Hyderabad and Sangam Books, London in 1996, was favourably reviewed in India and abroad. Simple Things of Life, his second novel, was published by Atlantic Publishers, New Delhi in 2001. His two story collections - Heroes and Monsters: Ten Tales in Verse (2007) and The Decameron on a Goan Beach: Twelve Feel-Good Stories (2009) - have come out in the U.S.A. His Three Shatakas of Bhartrihari: Love, Dispassion and Ethical Conduct, a verse translation of the Sanskrit classic Shataka-trayi of Bhartrihari, was published by Penman Publishers, New Delhi in 2003. Dr. Sahu taught English Literature in Government Colleges of Orissa and Berhampur University. His stories and research articles have appeared in many national journals. He has presented papers in many national and international conferences in India and UK. Recently he delivered talks to the students and teachers of English Department, Purdue University, West Lafayette, USA on Shakespeare. A good number of his reflective essays have appeared in The Hindu and The Times of India. After his retirement as Professor of English, he lives in Bhubaneswar, Orissa with his wife Kanak Manjari who writes short stories in Oriya and translates stories from Bengali and Hindi.