Includes bibliographical references.

A gaz for my father and a ghara for my mother -- The heirlooms of Y.P. Vij -- Between this side and that -- The sword of Ajit Kaur Kapoor -- Gift from a marharja -- The pearls of Azra haq -- Utensils for survival -- The kitchenware of Balraj Bahri -- Stones from my soil -- The Maang-Tikka of Bhag Malhotra -- Stitches and secrets -- The Bagh of Hansla Chowdhary -- Hereditary keepers of the Raj -- The enduring memories of John Grigor Taylor -- The light of a house that stands no more -- The stone plaque of Mian Faiz Rabbani -- The inheritance of ceremonial servings -- The Khaas-Daan of Narjis Khatun -- The hockey field I left behind -- The photographs of Nazeer Adhami -- This bird of gold, my land -- The hopeful heart of Nazmuddin Khan -- The book of everlasting things -- The collection of Prof. Partha Mitter -- Love in the time of nationalism -- The poems of Prabhjot Kaur -- Memory of a nationalist -- the Pashmina shawl of Preet Singh -- The lexicon of my land is devoid of emotions -- The battle-hardened memorabilia of Lt Gen. S.N. Sharma -- A heart of mortgaged silver -- The assorted curios of Prof. Sat Pal Kohli -- Stateless heirlooms -- The Hamam-Dasta of Savitri Mirchandani -- From the folds of life -- The household items of Sitara Faiyaz Ali -- The musical solace in my mother's prayers -- The Guru Granth Sahib of Sumitra Kapur -- A conversation of Eroded memory -- The identification of certificates of Sunil Chandra Sanyal -- Passage to freedom -- The worldly trunk of Uma Sondhi Ahmad.