Dead End is a powerful and an emotional selection of short stories by renowned award- winning Hindi poet and author Dr. Padmesh Gupta. His talent as a writer captures the desire and passion of everyday relationships.

His love for literature and his simple observations of daily life help the reader of this English version understand the culture and traditions that bring people together or keep them apart, keeping the reader guessing the outcome until the end.

Dr. Gupta champions the power of literature and has been writing poetry for over thirty years. He grew up in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, where his father, a poet himself, served as the mayor in three terms.

Dr. Gupta received one of India's highest honours, the 'Padmabhushan Moturi Satyanarayan Award' by the President of India, saying, "The power of Indian language poetry brings culture and literature to people who do not speak English, and it reaches the masses in India, helping them understand the literature and traditions of the country."

It followed other prestigious awards, including the 'Vishwa Hindi Samman', which the Government of India awarded at the New York World Hindi Conference in 2007.

He observes incidents every day, and one of his best-known poems is about the fall of the Berlin Wall. He adds, "My poetry also touches on simpler life and minor incidents."

-Steve Hartley

Senior Journalist, Oxford

★★★★★

Padmesh Gupta has surpassed all my expectations with his thought-provoking and insightful collection of short stories. He connects with his audience on both-spiritual and emotional level and shares life's experiences he has acquired through extensive travel across many continents.

The stories written within this book offer the reader an insight into the complexity of modern relationships they also give us a much deeper understanding about ourselves and the partners who share our lives.

Padmesh also highlights how Indian people now living in the West have evolved and adapted to living in countries that have a very different culture to their own. He also describes the journey between cultures and the conflicting emotions which they now experience.

The stories have been written by an author, who ever since I have known him has been hungry to understand the emotions and needs of others. Any reader who has an interest in Asian beliefs, culture, politics and human emotions will enjoy reading the stories in this wonderful book.

It is not only a credit to the author, but also the publisher who has done everything possible to make this book a compelling and enjoyable read. I for one, look forward to reading more short stories and poems written by Padmesh Gupta.

- Paul Gustafson,

Renowned Author, Oxford