And Other Short Stories. Ashok Patwari, an eminent creative writer for the last three decades, has found tongues in trees, books in the running brooks in his extensive voyage through life and lands. He presents us with characters from an array of physical backgrounds and a gamut of emotional make-ups, and subtly penetrates the cosmetic layers of his characters to identify the common thread of humanity in them. Retreat is an eclectic collection of fourteen selected short stories with a range of themes, situations, and characters from across the continents.