First published in 1990, Delhi: A Novel is one of the most celebrated works of Khushwant Singh. Blending historical fiction, literary fiction, and social commentary, the novel is both a love letter and a critique of Delhi, portraying the city's turbulent history through the eyes of a narrator whose personal journey intertwines with centuries of political and cultural change.

The novel moves fluidly between the present day and different eras of Delhi's past, from the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire to the Indian Rebellion of 1857, Partition of India, and modern India. Through vivid storytelling, Khushwant Singh captures the rise and fall of empires, political intrigue, violence, love, betrayal, and the resilience of the city and its people.

At the heart of the story is the narrator's unconventional relationship with Bhagmati, a hijra (transgender woman), whose presence serves as a powerful metaphor for Delhi itself—beautiful, chaotic, contradictory, resilient, and impossible to fully understand. Their relationship adds emotional depth while allowing Singh to explore themes of identity, desire, class, and social prejudice.

The novel is renowned for its rich historical detail, sharp wit, earthy humor, and unflinching honesty. It presents Delhi not merely as a setting but as the true protagonist—a city that has witnessed conquest, destruction, rebirth, and continuous transformation over nearly a thousand years.