A novel by Shahzad Rizvi
Summary
An Indian call-center employee, Sam, dreams of going into business for himself. He finds the perfect spot—a ruined palace that has long haunted his dreams. Attempts to renovate and refit the mansion, however, are stymied repeatedly by an unseen hand. He discovers that the culprit is a female ghost, Kiran, who haunts the mansion. She lovingly calls Sam by another name, Rahi, and insists that he is her beloved of an earlier century.
Within the mansion, Kiran and Sam live in tender harmony, whereas just outside its walls troubles—legal, political, and financial—assail Sam from every side, with no solutions in sight.
Alongside the present-day story of Sam’s call center, the tale of Kiran and Rahi in 1850’s India is gradually revealed. Handsome aristocrat Rahi receives a marriage proposal from the royal family, but turns it down. He has already secretly given his heart to Kiran, one of his family’s servants, a penniless orphan.
Rahi’s family reacts violently to Rahi’s refusal, and he is gravely injured. Kiran is brought in to nurse Rahi, and the love deepens between them, illicit and doomed. Time runs out for the couple as they plan a desperate escape.
Meanwhile, the jilted princess and her family, caught up in the horrific spasm of revenge and retaliation knows as the Indian Uprising, commit a cold-blooded mass murder and vanish. Capturing them and bringing them to justice requires tremendous courage, luck, and a musical goatherd.
The modern tale and the story taking place in the 1850’s alternate throughout the book. Ultimately, the parallel stories are woven together as the two lovers escape both the tumultuous eras in which they lived, to be reunited beyond time.
Commentary
This deeply romantic story defies categorization, combining the rich sensuous detail of a historical novel with supernatural and paranormal elements. Modern India, rife with political corruption, and India in the violent throes of a 19th century revolution are both limned with insight, keen observation, and flashes of humor.
Particularly striking are the passages depicting the lives of Indian royalty in the Victorian era, as their tradition of absolute authority comes in fateful conflict with British colonial rule. The monstrous vanity of these Indian rulers, and the near impunity that they enjoyed, shape the narrative of the historical story, and create resonances in the modern era, as greedy politicians and policemen angle for advantage.
The love story at the center of both eras is sustained successfully through the novel, up to the emotionally satisfying conclusion. A wealth of secondary characters, however, is the novel’s greatest strength.
From the strutting policeman Tiwari to the thoughtful Prime Minister Nizam Ul Mulk, from the monstrous Princess to the old sage in the tree house, the pages of this novel teem with personalities and incidents that engage and entertain readers. At the same time, the book conveys a wealth of detail about Indian history and culture that will delight history buffs and Indophiles.
Book Details
Volume: 196 pagesPublisher: Wordclay (Dec 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1604819537
ISBN-13: 978-1604819533
Dimensions: 6 x 9 x 0.4 inches
Editions: Kindle, Nook & Paperback
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