Pinki Virani’s Deaf Heaven is about the oral contemporary history of India - narrated by a sutradhar (storyteller). The journalist-cum-author's latest offering has an intriguing plot. Swaraswati, a Bengali librarian with a cleft lip, whose words cannot makes sense to people in life because of the deformity, dies on a Thursday amid her beloved books in the library. Her body is discovered on Monday. In the meantime, her spirit, freed from life, begins talking to people -- a common cast -- that includes her sister Damayanti, wife of a superstar; Tisca, a heroine spurned by a rising star; Qudsia Begum, a Bangalore beautician and wise mother; Czaerandhari, a former maharani and SMS addict; and Nafisa, a hard talking journalist.

They are from all across the country. The dead Swaraswati narrates their stories, conflicts and crises that underlie progressive modernity in India.The characters that the spooky sutradhar Swaraswati talks to include three men -- a wily bank employee, a father and brother who leave a woman bleeding.