I am not exaggerating when I say I was blown away by Ismat Chughtai's memoir A Life in Words (Penguin). Considered the subcontinent's foremost feminist writer and perhaps Urdu language's most controversial and fiery writer, her rebellious nature went hand-in-hand with her unrestrained, courageous writing. Ismat was a jewel in Urdu literary movement's crown. Her short story Lihaaf (Quilt), which explored homosexuality, triggered a huge controversy in 1940s' India, attracting filthy, obscene letters.