A very angry bus driver, abandoned by his wife and going nowhere in his career; a sanctimonious conductor; a hijra, or eunuch, a remnant of India's Muslim glory days; a nervous, half-Indian businessman clutching a briefcase-full of cash; a right-wing Hindu matriarch; a young boy returning to his village after robbing his employer . . . They meet and witness a tragic event only because they are all travelling on the same bus, in the same direction, on the same day. With exceptional poise and beguiling simplicity, Khair introduces a range of voices, thoughts, ideas and identities, allowing each individual s story to unfold gradually. A novel that reflects deeply into the nature and circumstances of human mobility in our modern, unforgiving world Siddhartha Deb, Outlook There is much to enjoy here . . . The twist at the end is hilarious. Khair s talent is as a miniaturist Fiona Hook, The Times It s a fine work: short, sweet and brutal James Smart, Sunday Herald A lyrical journey through small-town India Independent [The Bus Stopped] allows stories to emerge with immediacy and leisure, with abrupt shafts of humour Guardian