In Custody

“In Custody” is a novel written by Indian author Anita Desai, first published in 1984. The story is set in India and revolves around the life of Deven Sharma, a Hindi lecturer who dreams of being a great Urdu poet. He gets a chance to meet his idol, the famous Urdu poet Nur, and is asked to record his poems in order to preserve them for future generations. However, Deven soon finds out that the poet is not what he seems and that his dreams of literary success may not come true. The novel explores themes of identity, culture, and the power of language.