This work of fiction is my first of Mistry and I found it to be quite a thought provoking novel.This perhaps is a first novel of Mistry’s that has gone beyond the narrow field of a Parsi milieu and to instead embrace the whole Indian society. The novel is set in the backdrop of emergency and revolves around the protagonists, Dina Dalal, Ishwar Darji, his nephew Omprakash Darji and the young student from the hills, Maneck Kohlah. They come from varied backgrounds but are thrown together due to circumstances and with time develop a bond, which is almost like that of a surrogate family. The author has touched upon the caste system that is prevalent in the Indian society through the story of Dukhi Mochi and his sons, Ishwar and Narayan, who belong to the Chamaar caste of tanners and leather workers. Even after so many years of Independence and modernization, caste rears its ugly head in the trials and tribulations faced by Dukhi Mochi in his attempts to rear his family. Also, the preference for boy babies over girls is highlighted, as the girl babies are discreetly put to death. Dina s story is no different. She has dreams of becoming a doctor, which is squashed by the patriarchal society and who resorts to marriage as an escape. But three years into marriage, she becomes a widow, as her husband dies in a car crash. At this stage, turning the pages of the novel, you can’t help but wonder at the underlying refrain of despair and hopelessness that befog the characters as they grapple with their fates. The stoic acceptance of their fates by the characters is seen in the stiff opposition to Ishwar and Omprakash, as they try to take up a new vocation as tailors, by the powers that be.Also, the political environment of the country and the rampant violence and corruption during the 21 months of Emergency affected the socio-economic classes at the time, depicted through Dina, Maneck, Ishwar and Om. Here it would be pertinent to talk about the theme of the novel, which perhaps is resilience, that the characters display in the face of adversity. The title of the novel, is suggestive of the fact that it takes only a small occurence to upset the order of things and for the society to slide into great volatility and precariousness. The author has thus highlighted practices such as forced sterilizations, mass detentions, caste and religious discrimination, which was the order of the day during Emergency. So also, the heartless eviction of the poor from their slum dwellings in the name of "beautification"of the city. We get to see each of these characters cope with their lives in varied ways, as they face an uncertain future. As you progress with the novel, you look for a glimmer of hope in the lives of the characters, which in turn eludes them. Finally, when you do get to the end of the novel, there is no respite from hopelessness. Set in the year, 1984, Maneck arrives in the city and encounters Ishwar and Om who have been reduced to beggars. The year is significant as there is a mention of the PM getting assassinated by the Sikh bodyguards. All these are mere references and the author never really mentions the PM by name. But the impact of Emergency on the daily life of the poor is unmistakably perceptible. Maneck in turn is heartbroken and tragedy strikes as he commits suicide by jumping in front of a train. In the final analysis, you cannot but like the powerful narrative style of the author, as he tries to deal with an equally powerful theme, which is that of social and political upheavals, which is a fallout of a relentless pursuit of power by an authoritarian politician. A good read.