I am just about getting started with Saurbh Katyal's 'No Flying from Fate,' when the partner whisks it away for a quick minute-or-two-in-the-loo. Thereafter, putting on his finest pseudo-intellectual avatar, he claims, "You're going to enjoy this. It has the cynicism, terse (if sometimes bizarre) humour and promiscuity of the film noir genre mashed into a young Indo-bohemian environment." I look at him, incredulous.
"No Flying from Fate," hasn't a title that jumps out at me, nor a cover to match. It sits gingerly upon the table, until I finally decide to pick it up. And then, just can't seem to put it down. Dang!
'No Flying from Fate' is published by Gyaana Books at Rs. 295/-
I'm certain I don't want to be a sucker for anything that begins with, "I honked the horn," twists with, "The eyes were the same black holes pulling me towards them," and ends with, "the perpetual emotional ambush." There's a man who kicks up his drab-crabby corporate job, to turn domestic detective. Meet Vishal Bajaj, head of Hunt Detective Agency and his sidekick, always high, won't-lift-a-fly, Pranay.
A call from Vishal's ex-girlfriend Anjali, and they are on the prowl to solve a murder in the Kapoor family. Anjali is now married to their classmate Sunil Kapoor. It's a twist, tale and gunshot (or three) of all things illustrious, illicit and mundane all the way to twenty-five lakhs.
Inspector Babu plays endearing second fiddle in the plot that turns deliciously unto an unsuspecting end. The goodness of any detective thriller you may say, the ha-ha less humour notwithstanding.
Tuck into this one rainy evening, and you will rather enjoy tying up the clues. Saurbh Katyal has a way with storytelling, even if not so much with words.
'No Flying from Fate' is published by Gyaana Books at Rs 295/-