Book excerpt: No one is untouched by love, not even devas and asuras, kings and nymphs. And when they face life's unexpected tribulations, their love too undergoes trials. Read how Ganesha took myriad forms to please Riddhi, Siddhi and Buddhi, how Ravana shared an unbreakable bond with his true love Mandodari and how Nala and Damayanti's relationship was tested till almost nothing remained. Tormented by passion, tortured by betrayal and wracked by the agony of separation, love in its many splendorous forms is the origin of these incredibly endearing stories. It is that which surmises . . .