It has been a pleasure to go through this anthology put together by the talented Sonia Rao, who has not only written a story for the collection, but is also a Municipal Liaison for NaNoWriMo in India. The Wrimos have crafted stories in myriad genres around the theme 'Vengeance - A Sting in Every Tale'. The cover, striking in its shades of black, red and white, piques the interest even before the book is opened.
"When
everything you've had is stolen from you, all you have left is revenge."
Emily Thorne
1.
The Beautiful Ratio by Shweta Rao Garg
Shazia
has an "undying infatuation with prime numbers" and a romance with
Mathematics and the golden ratio. After the Godhra tragedy, she loses the
constants in her life, striving "to hold on to the flickering moment of
mathematical genius before it faded away", by deriving the perfect Maths formula
to avenge the death of a loved one. A poignant, well written tale that touches
the heart!
2.
The Murder of a Dying Man by Archana Sarat
The
atmosphere of an Agatha Christie novel is recreated, in which ACP Anton Pinto investigates
the murder of the homeless Lalit, a dying man with severe liver damage, slated
to donate his kidney to a celebrity, Abdul Khan. Numerous interesting
characters float in and out as "A dying man's death was hastened",
and a fascinating investigation reveals the astute murderer. Quick paced action
and short pithy dialogues make this story by Archana Sarat a riveting read.
3.
That Which Does Not Kill You by Neil D'Silva
There
are some stories in which the readers tread warily through overwhelming twists.
Neil D'Silva's story is one such shocker. Anay Joshi finds himself in the
hospital after a suicide attempt, and tries to pick up the pieces of his life
with Nurse Aditi Kelkar, after the death of his girlfriend, Ipsa. Abuse,
mistrust and betrayal cloud the atmosphere, as a warped villain makes his
presence felt. This
is a tale masterly in its narration, with a twist that leaves the readers with
a sense of disbelief.
4.
I Will Teach You Yet, America by Balakrishnan Rajamani
Srinivasa
Sastri does his Graduation and his Masters in America, but succumbs to the strain
and returns home to Delhi for rest and recuperation. How his Mind Voice takes
this so-called rejection, and devises a plan to take revenge on America, is the
stuff this tale is made up of. An unusual theme, indeed!
5.
Karmic Vengeance by Shail Raghuvanshi
This
masterpiece by Shail Raghuvanshi starts with a bang. Why does Yaani shoot Angel
Thomas in her bridal finery? When he meets Kashish, how does he react? her? The
story moves on to a blood-chilling climax when the Karmic Vengeance, which has
come full circle, begins all over again, making this one of the most
suspenseful and skillfully woven stories in this anthology.
6.
The Sting by Sini Mathew
Veena
is dominated by her dictator father. She thanks her stars for her perfect
husband, Vinu. When she finds her world turned upside down, she mourns,
"Inside I was broken glass. Every fragment was piercing me sharp". As
she moves away from her life of ignorance, of filth, the story ends on a note
of hope. "The venom of the sting must not overpower." The language shines,
but is marred due to a few punctuation woes.
7.
Priya Praneshwari - Mahesh Ramani
A
young girl, Priya goes missing, and her distraught husband. Pranesh, files a
'Missing Persons' complaint. She is found poisoned in the Park Hotel. Mahesh
Ramani obviously has a penchant for clean, well-etched mysteries, and this comes
across in his rendering of this story, that deserves to be savoured.
8.
Liberated in Love - Piorre Hart
At
which point does love turn liberating? Superstar Rajiiv Khanna and his pretty girlfriend,
Geethika, have the ideal romance. What happens when he decides to propose to
her in a TV studio in front of his adoring public? Geethika watches him from
the confines of her home, and the manner in which she decides to reply to him
is truly unique. "She decided to reply. Her reply. His style." Piorre
Hart turns out a well crafted tale that cannot be put down.
9.
Song of the Broken by Prashant Srivatsa
A
beautiful writing style is the strong point of this tale that describes a caravan
journey led by Daga with nine interesting passengers. Janavi who sings songs in
praise of the gods, suspects that there is treachery afoot when she hears the
Song of the Broken, the song of the enemy. Why do the others decide to leave
her behind and go on to their destination? This intriguing story leaves the
reader with a sense of curiosity and ends on a note of anticipation.
10.
Music of Death by Neelesh Inamdar
Reminiscent
of the Lucknowi style, this tale describes Shehnaz of the mellifluous voice, the
Koh-i-noor of Rukhsar Apa's kotha, who falls in love with Aftab, as "the
fragrance of love lingered on." What is the aftermath of the affair and
what role does Rukhsar play to set the events rolling? Neelesh Inamdar weaves an
emotional tale whose beguiling fragrance lingers on in the reader's mind long
after the last word has been read.
11.
It Is Somewhere around You by Sreeja Harikrishnan
Nikitha
and Shikha are drawn into the memories of a horrific train incident where
Shikha and her fellow passengers could have saved a life, had they reacted in
time. What does this have to do with Shikha’s wedding to Anirudh? A story that
leaves the reader a trifle confused, as it ends too abruptly.
12.
The Singers by Destination Infinity
Classical
singers Balaji and Vani have a fairytale marriage till the latter becomes more popular.
Balaji urges her to have a child. When she refuses, they turn into pure rivals,
bringing each other down on every occasion. What is her secret that he uses to
keep her from singing? Does his ploy serve his purpose or is there a deeper
reason behind it? This story ends with an intriguing twist that tugs at one's heartstrings.
13.
The Vengeful Bride by Mamatha Kamireddy
One
of the most heart-wrenching stories in this book! Aarti marries Bhushan, but
the reason why she abhors him, and the revenge she has come as a complete shock
as the tale unfolds. The wonderful narration by Mamatha Kamireddy leaves one
with a sense of intense pathos, along with a feeling of triumph at the ways the
tables are turned on the villain.
14.
The Sneaky Blogger by Sudha Gopal Nair
A
story that has an Enid Blyton touch to it, with a blogger who posts mean
pictures of events on her Hate Blog. Around ten girls who have all been victims
form the V for Vengeance Team, a neat touch, and set out to trap the sneaky
blogger. However, the plot is weak and could have done with a more plausible
reason for vengeance.
15.
Shadows of the Past by Pritesh Patil
This
story reminds one of Perry Mason, and then goes on to cover the whole gamut of
magic realism with Godslayers, Beastmasters, Devourers and Djinns, as Arquin
sets out to rescue a maiden captured by the Shadebringers. It does hold the readers’
interest, but is marred by lapses in spacing and punctuation.
16.
The Game Changers by Ruchi Singh
In
this taut and highly charged tale of cuckoldry, the main players are Amit
Raghuvanshi, his wife, Maya, and a couple in love, Keira and Samar. A wilful
murder committed due to envy, an attempt of a frame up, and a totally
unexpected twist in the tale make this a tale with all the right ingredients
for a classy whodunit.
17.
Alheims - Icelandic for Universal by Dola Basu Singh
The
protagonist deals with an eve teaser, taking us through all the different steps
she uses to disarm him. The steps are as impressive as the words denoting her feelings
as she goes through the whole gamut, only to come through victorious. One of
the shortest and most unusual stories in this collection, but it certainly
packs a punch.
18.
The Hunt - Debashis Deb
Purnima
proves the dictum that there is no fury like that of a wronged woman after
having been captured by Salva Judum volunteers, because she dares to voice her
opinions against the government. She turns into a rebel herself, for the
purpose of taking revenge on the men who had abused her. The story, steeped in the
ground realities faced by the state, has a social twist which the readers can
relate to as well.
19.
Let There Be No Guilt by Smriti Verma
Smriti
Verma's love of language and description is revealed in this tale of a young
soldier, Michael Truman, who grows up too fast after his older brother dies. The
stress overcomes him, and he wreaks vengeance on those who had snatched away
his childhood, so that the balance may be restored. Beautifully narrated, this
story has many shades to it, as the young man's emotions bring him to the
brink.
20.
Damned for Eternity by Kartik L
Dr.
Moreau is imprisoned for conducting human trials for his 'Elixir of Life'
experiment. Kellor, the power-hungry First Citizen wants him to revive his
experiments years later. Who is behind the disappearance of Moreau's wife,
Clarissa, a scientist herself? A cryptic sci-fi tale in which vengeance subtly
makes its presence felt!
21.
The Shattered Melody by Sonia Rao
This
is the ideal story with which to end this anthology, a tale of betrayal that
causes a wife to fling off her blinkers and take revenge on her philandering
husband. The skilful way she does this, and the decisions she takes after, make
her a strong admirable woman. Sonia Rao proves that she is a consummate writer
as she spins a tale that is devoid of melodrama, which makes the story sparkle
all the more.
Verdict:
Highly readable!
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