Before I commence on the merits of this novel, I must commend the cover design by Bonita Vaz-Shimray which visualizes and encapsulates the plot brilliantly. Then, try as I might, I cannot ignore being struck by the name of the author, Prayaag Akbar. Being born and brought up under the ramparts of Akbar’s Fort in…
It is set in the 1920s, a time when young people began to question the social structures that sought to confine them. Their rebellion, subtle though it may be, is a significant aspect of the story. Today, many of the issues they faced might seem trivial, but in their time, these were revolutionary ideas. The merging of the inner and outer worlds, of personal desires versus societal norms, has been beautifully depicted. But the struggle to forge an authentic identity, one that grows and evolves with time, is never easy. The tension between what one wants and what is expected of them is portrayed with remarkable sensitivity.
The addition of a character like Nilima Gandhi also enriches the narrative because the frustrations of a housewife are also expressed. Even though Nilima comes from a middle-class family and has domestic help, the urge within her to be seen and validated for all she does for her family is strong and the author is empathetic to that need. She is also portrayed as a woman with patriarchal principles but that doesn’t hinder her capacity to bond with other women. The third protagonist is Dinitia (Dini), who is a social worker and a single mother.
The human protagonists of the story are a pair of iconoclastic fifteen-year-olds, Asha and Zeb, who protest against the stifling system through illegal graffiti (the author mentions the British artist Banksy as an inspiration in the Afterword). Things escalate when the young rebels witness the callous murder of a word mid-transport by security forces during one of their furtive getaways and are eventually scapegoated as criminals.
Constrained by the chicken-pox and trying to deal with it during the summer holidays, Paromita and her fellow chicken-pox afflicted neighbouring teens—Sunidhi, Agastya, Darius, and Nihal—decide to solve the mystery that has scarred all of the denizens of The Orchard.
The story circles around a hidden sandalwood grove near the Sahyadri Range. The sandalwood trees are in the middle of a change of guard with the young Siah taking over from her mentor Bhuja when they come under the shadow of traffickers. To rescue her clan, Siah is willing to go to great lengths and even follow the forbidden paths. The story carries an element of speculative fiction at its core. Who set the fire that left Samr half burnt? What happened to the little girl who died mysteriously? Several parallel narratives seem to be unfolding simultaneously, making the plot pleasantly challenging and complex. All the threads converge in the climactic chapters and the ends are tied up neatly.