Tales of Agnimitra and Tamana
By Amber Romasa Nagori
Lightstone Publishers
ISBN: 978-969-716-310-6
243pp.

When I picked up Tales of Agnimitra and Tamana, my first reaction was bewilderment. There was nothing in the title to give me a hint of what the book was about. The back cover, rather than elucidating the book’s content, only added to the mystery. But the conjoining of present-day Karachi with Agnimitra, an Indian prince from 151 BCE, was intriguing enough to make me read the tales. And what a delight it was to dive into them!

The author of this book, Amber Romasa Nagori, is the daughter of Professor Abdul Rahim Nagori, who is famous for his socio-political art. Coming from a background where traditions were questioned and the status quo was not taken at face value, she also tends to challenge conventional beliefs. She has a master’s in textile design from the University of Leeds and has lived, studied and worked in Pakistan, Italy and the UK. Her previous book is a biography of her father, Nagori: Voice of Conscience.

Tales of Agnimitra and Tamana, is divided into five sections called ‘Books’. The first two are exclusively about Agnimitra. In Book Three and Four, Tamana — a young woman in contemporary Karachi — and Agnimitra work in concert and the last Book is all about Tamana.

On Google, amazingly enough, Agnimitra turns out to be a real person, even though he merits only a paragraph or two. Perhaps the lack of historical details about Agnimitra’s life is why the author chooses him as a hero. A work of fiction works best if the central historical personality is relatively unknown.

A whimsical novel brings together an Indian prince from more than 2,000 years ago and a young woman from contemporary Karachi and traverses history, philosophy, myth and magic

Stories, especially those of kings and princes, have their own kind of allure. This book, too, starts conventionally, like a tale of royalty. But when the prince enters the Land of Myths, the plot takes a serious turn. There are plenty of mythical creatures and magic, but also much to ponder about. Moreover, the apt mythical, religious and philosophical allusions, from Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Hindu mythologies, elevate the novel above the ordinary.

After harrowing experiences in the Land of Myths, the prince finally realises that real virtue lies in compassion for others and the “…humility to listen to voices different from yours.” It is at this point that he is given the task to save one life. Only such a feat will ensure that he is reunited with his lost love. And so, we get to Karachi and Tamana in 2025.

Tamana’s life is not happy or peaceful. Her abusive father has abandoned the family. She and her older sister were brought up by their hard-working mother. When Tamana gets betrothed to an eligible young man, everyone is happy. But just before the wedding can be solemnised, the mother dies suddenly and, even as the sisters attempt to come to terms with their loss, the older sibling is brutally murdered.

Suddenly, Tamana finds herself alone and without support. All her efforts to find her sister’s killer are blocked. Like a mantra, the people around her repeat that there is no way she can get justice in Pakistan. Her very reason for living disintegrates, and she resolves to commit suicide.

At this juncture, the spirit of Agnimitra arrives in Karachi and lands straight into Tamana’s house. Saving her life becomes his goal, both out of compassion for Tamana and because he wants to regain the love he has lost.

Tamana’s surprise at the advent of a Hindu prince in her house can be imagined. Equally, Agnimitra cannot fathom the world he has entered. All the modern gadgets are baffling, and the very existence of Pakistan is perplexing to him. The first action of the two is to learn more about the era to which the other belongs. In the process, the reader also gets a history lesson, but one in which many of the facts taken for granted turn out to be only conjecture.

Nagori takes pleasure in refuting long-held beliefs. For example, she contends, with scholarly evidence, that the cow became sacred to Hindus only during the first millennium after Christ. Then, she paints Mahmud of Ghazni not as a Muslim warrior pitting himself against disbelievers but as one out to enrich himself at their cost. Otherwise, she asks, why would he let the Bamiyan Buddhas stand untouched close to home, yet indulge in his iconoclastic activities in Somnath?

The author uses a light touch to make fun of Tamana, who is appalled by Agnimitra’s bizarre appearance by her side, mainly because he is a Hindu. If a Mughal king or a Tughlaq sultan had materialised to help her, she would have found it more appropriate.

Book Three ends with Tamana killing a man. Her guilt and sorrow at this heinous act almost push her to the brink of death. But then, in the best tradition of ancient tales, help comes from a totally unexpected quarter, and both the title characters are whisked off to the Land of Myths.

Everything, both good and evil, that crosses their paths in this mysterious kingdom helps the protagonists become the best versions of themselves. They learn to pose questions as a first step toward open discourse and resolve to improve their respective worlds instead of railing against their ugliness.

Book Five concludes the tale. Tamana continues in her quest to avenge her sister, but this time she is a much stronger person, more confident and optimistic. Perhaps justice can be found in Pakistan, after all.

This fanciful tale by Nagori is a rollicking read on the surface level. At the same time, it serves up a diet of analytical reasoning. By the end of the book, even the reader has evolved.

The beauty of Tales of Agnimitra and Tamana lies not only in the writing, which has a natural flow, but also in the layered nuances of the narrative, which pique the reader’s intellectual curiosity. The book exercises the brain in unexpected ways.

Kudos to Nagori for authoring this tour de force.

The reviewer is a freelance writer, author of the novel The Tea Trolley and the translator of Toofan Se Pehlay: Safar-i-Europe Ki Diary

Published in Dawn, Books & Authors, January 11th, 2026