Faces in the Water is a fascinating tale for young adults dealing with the subject of female infanticide. The author has dealt with this sensitive issue in a very gentle manner coated with humour which makes the book interesting. In about 200 pages Ranjit Lal weaves the story of an atrocious crime that has been existent in Indian society but one which our society sadly refuses to acknowledge.
Gurmeet, a fifteen year old boy who comes from the city to live in the ancestral home, where he was born, to spend his vacation. In spite of repeated warnings from his mother to stay away from the magical Well, which supplied water to the house, Gurmeet picks up his cycle and goes there. What he discovers there changes his life and that of others for ever. There he discovers why there are only sons in The Diwanchand family. He sees the faces of his sisters who were drowned in that well because they were girls. These faces look up at him from the water and draw him into a world of fun, games and cyber magic. He can see his three sisters—Mohini, Nanni and Baby and also sees the resemblance of these faces with that of his mother. He photographs them and downloads the pictures in his laptop. The sisters and Gurmeet enjoy themselves in many ways. Even his parents feel the presence of their daughters but cannot see them. Together they create an atmosphere which makes the Diwanchand family realize their atrocious crime and also makes them miss their dead children.