Synopsis Short, sharp and sassy, this collection of satirical sketches snaps a metaphorical finger in front of our eyes. It tells us to wake up and look around before it is too late and and it does so with no great vim and vigour. The hallmark of Asghar Wajahat's writing is its steadfast refusal to strike any loud notes. Each of these ten-part series carries a tiny picture of our everyday life, a cameo of our very "Indianness" and an unabashed look at the life and times of an ordinary man. These are the "smelling salts" we have all been looking for - to bring us to our senses with their strong, pungent, down-to-earth aroma. Witty, acerbic and completely unsentimental in their Hindi original, Rakhshanda Jalil's English translation conveys the unpretentious originality and quiet humour of the Hindi original.