A young boy applies lipstick on his lips as his mother looks on and grapples with her son’s sexuality. A wife negotiates with the ‘other woman’ and a love child after her diplomat husband’s violent death. A middle-aged woman ‘disappears’ while answering her inner calling. The Second Wife & Other Stories deals with love, war, caste and class divides. The stories in this collection are contemporary yet timeless. They ask probing questions on gender issues, explore queer relationships, and boldly re-tell the epics. The woman and her story remain the focal point as the author delves deep into women’s lives and raises provocative questions.