Devputra: A Story of Rebirth by Neil D’Silva
My take on the book:
It was the year 2000; while violent mobs went berserk on the lanes of Mumbai, Shankar Nayak had to call a mid-wife Roopa to his house to help with delivery of his pregnant wife Kalki, as it was impossible to go to a hospital or call a doctor. Even after all attempts by Roopa to help Kalki deliver, she delivered a still-born baby. But a few moments later, a miracle happened — the baby came back to life, prompting Roopa and Kalki to assume he is Devputra.
Aditya Nayak grew up to be the darling child of Kalki and he showed signs of growth ahead of his age. However, he also started behaving weirdly — called a random number every afternoon, signed his paintings with an unknown name. But when he started getting aggressive with kids his age, and after his parents discovered the truth about him, he was sent off to a boarding school in Dehradun, and Kalki hoped this change would help him.
After reaching adulthood, Aditya started encountering a ghost woman and her dog whenever he tried getting intimate with women. Upon returning to Mumbai, Aditya fell in love with Sannidhi but the secret of his birth has gradually grown so powerful that it threatened his life. Is Aditya indeed Devputra like his mother Kalki dreamt him to be, and what is the secret of his birth, forms the rest of the story.
The story begins as a combination of rebirth, past life regression and souls with unfulfilled desires or sudden deaths, as the author builds on Aditya’s past life revealing only in the second half the actual secret behind his birth. This non-linear story telling keeps the reader engaged as the author reveals the suspense slowly and every time there is a twist in the story, the reader will end up gasping.
When I started this book I expected it to be a psychological thriller but towards the end, the author also adds up few supernatural elements, hence adding to the thrill. There is a strong message on how women in India tend to cover up the crimes and mistakes done by the men of their house — be it husband, brother or son and I loved how the author draws these comparisons from mythological figures to current times; and how a woman should break that chain by doing what is right and not what their blood relation suggests.
All the characters introduced have their significance as the author ties back every character to the narration. There are few slower moments in the middle parts where Aditya is transforming into a different persona and if those parts can be ignored, this story is an absolute winner.
My rating:
4/5.