‘Massacre at Midnight’ is a fascinating tale of medieval intrigue and revenge in the best traditions of ‘magic realism’ with a touch of the divine. Set in the Mughal times, the story opens with the covetous Nawaab of Waariaul locking horns with the principled estate-owner of Singhwaar over the possession of LaaDlii and Pyaare, a famed pair of hunting dogs. The Nawaab enlists the support of Mughal army under false pretences, portraying Singhwaar’s Thaakur as a seditious renegade. The family is massacred to the last man and Singhwaar is laid waste. The widow gives birth to a male heir in a fugue, abandoning the infant in the wilderness. The child is miraculously saved by the benevolent goddess Vana-Durgaa and becomes her favourite. When he comes of age, Destiny takes him to the imperial court at Delhi for a show-down with his father’s murderer, witnessed by the Great Mughal himself.
Based largely on folklore, ‘Massacre at Midnight’ is replete with enchanting old world belief in miracles, spirits protecting family fortunes and poetic justice for the unjust as well as glimpses of life in medieval Mithilaa.

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Contents

Author’s Note —Pgs. 9

Translator’s Note —Pgs. 11

Note on Phonetics-based Spellings of Sanskrit or Other Indian Words in the Text —Pgs. 13

Glossary of Sanskrit, Hindi and Maithilii Words —Pgs. 17

Prologue —Pgs. 29

1. The Story of LaaDlii and Pyaare —Pgs. 37

2. The Massacre at the Deorhii —Pgs. 66

3. Under the Wings of Vana-Durgaa —Pgs. 75

4. Spying in Waariaul —Pgs. 97

5. The Sword of Singhwaar —Pgs. 151

6. Belaa – The Apple of Discord —Pgs. 172

7. Conversations with the Devii —Pgs. 178

8. Conversations with Wandering Spirits —Pgs. 204

9. The Third Wife of Dharaadhar —Pgs. 221

10. Jagdambii Comes of Age —Pgs. 230

11. At the Great Mughal’s Court —Pgs. 234

12. Homecoming —Pgs. 254

Epilogue —Pgs. 269

Chaudhary Kaushal Kishore Thakur, the author of the original Hindi novella ‘Bhavaanii Bahuu’ translated into English as ‘Massacre at Midnight’ is a scion of the Singhwaar Thaakurs descended from Chaudhary Jagdambii Thaakur, the protagonist of this novella. He is a noted poet and author of Maithilii, his mother-tongue, with numerous published works. Special mention may be made of ‘Kaha’thi Kabiir’, Maithilii short stories, and ‘Harii Ichchhaa Gariiyasii’, Maithilii novel. Born at Singhwaar Deorhii on 6th March, 1935, Chaudhary Kaushal Kishore Thakur lives in present-day Singhwara, a Block headquarter in Darbhanga district of Bihar. He can be reached at: 
email: 
rsampark.thakur@gmail.com

Priyadarshi Thakur ‘Khayal’, also from Singhwara, is a noted poet and translator. His translation of two hundred poems of the ninth-century Chinese poet Bai Juyi into Hindi has been very popular. ‘Khayal’ is also the translator of the Turkish Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk’s novel ‘Snow’ into Hindi, published by Penguin India. ‘Khayal’s own original work can be sampled at the popular website www.rekhta.org and YouTube. He can be reached at pthakur06@yahoo.com