Book excerpt: Now in a fresh new look! 'The high priestess of popular fiction...' THE ASIAN AGE 1971. The USSR-backed India-Mukti Bahini alliance is on the brink of war against the America-aided Pakistani forces. As the Cold War threatens to turn red hot, handsome, laughing Ishaan Faujdaar, a farm boy from Chakkahera, Haryana, is elated to be in the IAF, flying the Gnat, a tiny fighter plane nicknamed 'Sabre Slayer' for the devastation it has wreaked in the ranks of Pakistan's F-86 Sabre Squadrons. Flanked by his buddies Raks, a MiG-21 Fighter; Maddy, a transport pilot who flies a Caribou; and fellow Gnatties Jana, Gana and Mana, Shaanu has nothing on his mind but glory and adventure -- until he encounters Tehmina Dadyseth, famed bathing beauty and sister of a dead fauji, who makes him question the very concept of nationalism and whose eyes fill with disillusioned scorn whenever people wax eloquent about patriotism and war... Pulsating with love, laughter and courage, Baaz is Anuja Chauhan's tribute to our men in uniform.