Himalayan White
Author- Amitabh Pandey
Publisher- HarperCollins, Rs299
When evil grips the country, retired Special Forces officer Gautam Shukla, the protagonist of the novel, takes on the challenge and in turn gives us an inspiring hero and an amazing thriller, writes MANDIRA GHOSH
Volume 1 of the Himalayan series, Himalayan White, deals with Special Forces officer Gautam Shukla, an ex-military officer who has taken voluntary retirement from the army and moved to Noida, looking for a life of peace and quiet. Out jogging one morning, he comes to the rescue of Nisha, a young army widow, who is being kidnapped by goons. As a result, ironically, Gautam finds himself faced with Bhima Yadav, a powerful politician heading a vast criminal enterprise, and his psychopathic son Angad representing the evils of our so-called society. As he sets out to destroy the duo, Gautam must grapple with unforeseen danger — as also the sudden blossoming of romance in his life. Moving from the badlands of Uttar Pradesh to the political corridors of Delhi to the Kumaon Himalayas, this riveting thriller will keep one hooked till the last page.
The author of Himalayan White is an idealist. When evil grips the country, the subcontinent and the whole world, he as Gautam Shukla takes on evil represented by Bhima Yadav and his son Angad. Gautam also falls in love with Nisha, a school teacher by profession. It should also be noted that the name Gautam who is also called Buddha is quite appropriate. Sketched brilliantly by the author, Gautam as the protagonist of the novel inspires us. Indeed, Gautam Shukla is a lovable character. A so-called modern man with fine taste, he single-handedly crushes the goons who try to kidnap Nisha and in the process comes across the evils gripping Indian society; evils in the film world, the drug mafia, powerful men with criminal enterprise. As he grapples with immediate dangers, he also finds the real love of his life.
He incorporates crime by introducing Bhima. Violence interspersed with poetry, drama, art and music make the novel a good read. Homer and Robert Frost are mentioned and so is Van Gogh. This also proves that army men are not just interested in guns!
Romance in a thriller always dilutes the seriousness of the plot and the aim of the author, but in the book, romance was a necessity.
So called thrills and action, represented by a car race through the hills, some dose of sex, are all ingredients of any action film but the idealism factor saves the novel from becoming just a thriller. At the background of the reality of the contemporary world, the action, the plot, and a few characters blossom and make their presence felt. The plot, the action, the authentic and detailed portrayal of the characters seem real.
The author delves deep in his mind to find real reasons of crime and psychology of the criminals. He pens the significant lines, “The larger problem is one of poverty and generations of deprivation and, most importantly greed.”
End of Bhima, representing evils of the society, is dramatic: “Gautam crouched motionless in the far corner of the balcony, moved quickly, drawing his gun as he went. He pushed a shocked Bhima hard into the room and followed him in. Bhima reacted quickly, lunging forward to grapple with Gautam and opening his mouth to shout for his bodyguard. Gautam’s reactions were faster however. He shot Bhima three times, stepping back to avoid getting splattered as Bhima fell. He then stepped up close and fired two shots into the back of Bhima’s head, turned and left the room.”
Starting from the Indian epics to Shakespeare’s plays, goodness always triumphs over evil. When the opponent is powerful, the plot and action to win him or her becomes more exciting and thrilling. Amitabh Pandey who also lives in Noida has read and also has the grasp of the modern mind, and with a streak of idealism, has put and added all the ingredients of a perfect thriller.
The action sequences are multi-dimensional. The unexpected twists and turns make the book more interesting. The political situation is described and etched with great responsibility.
Pandey studied Economics at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University and the Delhi School of Economics. He has taught economics at an undergraduate college of Delhi University, worked as a civil servant with the Indian Railways and spent five years building software systems in the private sector.
We are keen to read more books in the Himalaya series. Considering he seems to be familiar with the Kumaon regions, books from him will be readable. I thought the hills are alive with the sound of music. It is rather sad to find out, that crime has engulfed the hills too. leave the hills. They are the gates to heaven. But then again the book is an act of fiction and not fact.
The reviewer is the author of 10 books, including Folk Music of the Himalayas and Song in a City. She can be reached at mandiraghosh55@gmail.com