Writing an introduction to the twenty-fifth anniversary edition of her book, The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand succinctly points out the relationship between the aspect of longevity and the novels. She remarks that most of the novels which are written and published today vanish as if they were magazines. Besides, she says, that it is one of the sorriest aspect of today’s literature.
But amidst this immense tension, there exists a limited edition of matured writers who are trying to reimburse the loss incurred by literature in the longevity field through their profound and evergreen works. Author Arvind Narsima, a divine soul, my Godfather, an erudite, a theologian, a scientist of beliefs, a painter, an optimist, and above all, a person keeping up the spirit of humanity; hailing from Puducherry, belongs to the limited edition of writers mentioned above, who, over the period of time has got success in establishing his own empire, which he is ruling single-handedly, the throne being his masterpieces. Awarded the Literary Oscars for The Aravan Head and a Finalist of Global Author of the Year, Best Author of the year for The Invsestigator Series, and then came his best work in the form of The Chosen One- the reason why I called him a theologian- which poured innumerable awards and nominations, not to mention the worldwide praises and love, on him. He plundered everyone’s heart without letting them realize. His books, as they are meant to be, offers you a pleasure if you are capable of encapsulating his symbols, metaphors and allusions. Reading his books is more about reading between the lines- a method he had used since beginning to unmask the vicious circle operating in the society.
Giving birth to one of the most celebrated and loved character through his pen, which we all know is Arya, he has presented the basics of characterization needed. But it is an enigma, one has to toil a lot to crack it. He has taken the literary world by storm, and his unprecedented power of storytelling has helped millions to change their perspectives of life. He and his Arya resembles ACD with his Sherlock Holmes, but surprisingly, Author Arvind Narsima is not second ACD, he his first Arvind Narsima.
ARYA’S HUNTING GROUND
Recently the author has come up with his new book which, as expected, has already brought him ample nominations and of course, the love and blessings from across the globe. Dedicated to all the rape victims of our country with a vision of a rape free and crime free society, the book deals with sensitive yet crucial aspects of modern era, i.e. drugs, devilish minds in politics, capitalist’s greed, lust for power, outdated law and justice and so on. Aspects which other writers are reluctant to touch, he has dealt with them with maturity, backed up by an analytical approach. It’s Foreword is written by Anandmayi Priyadarshini, director of Origo Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd, Bengaluru. And being a veteran and women, she has accurately presented an honest scenario of women at this epoch. Sharing her personal experience as a friend with the author and commenting on his flamboyant personality, she has successfully ended the foreword without giving a major spoiler, which is really difficult while dealing with masterpieces. And Dr. Raghuram Shastry, a lucky guy, who got a note published from his desk at beginning, is all praise of author and his gradual improvement in writing, Dr, Ram has measured author’s work over time by keeping the author himself as the yardstick. Besides, you won’t get any spoiler from his note too.
RE-VIEW!
The machination is derived out from complex amalgamation of various ideas and aspects which collectively builds a society. In essence the book is a bird’s eye view of our world. In fact it is a model, for a model is a small scale replica of reality. And every single words defining incidents in the book is enriched with symbolism. From Arya’s scintillating face in the mouth of darkness to cynical Inspector Kannusamy, the book carries every paraphernalia needed by a tale to be a riveting fast paced thriller!
ARYA- in one way or the other signifies masculinity- is a sacrosanct and impregnable character of the story, moreover, a fine touch of soft emotions in his demeanor elevates his very intelligence. Delineated with so much care, Arya’s mere presence breathes a life into the story. His past, like ours, continues to haunt him in this part of the book, though the erstwhile incidents which led him to lead a barbarous life for a long time are mentioned in bits and pieces. And this method gives rise to our curiosity about his intractable life which he had faced so far. {NOTE- To know more about Arya’s past life, read- The Investigator Series, The Aravan Head. Copies available on Amazon.com} In this book- Arya’s Hunting Ground- too he is at centre in solving every crime occurring in the story. Arya thwart villains, reveal their devilish intentions to others and teach them appropriate lessons, no matter he goes by the book or becomes ‘the’ book himself. Arya is brave, enjoys certain prerogatives, he is a champion on and off the battlefield, he is an enigma, he is a lesson, and above all he carries truth and honesty as jewelry, which undoubtedly accentuates his character.
But for me Arya is something more. I interpret him as our guider or a rudder which shows us the direction to all the naives. He not only shows us that our deeds, be it good or bad, impacts all the people around us, creating vibes as per the deed carried out by us. The same vibes determines our retaliation to incidents happening to us or around us. For instance, while dealing with Aadhi Kesavan, who is portrayed as a business tycoon, who with the help of links, be it political or administrative, executes his plans to accumulate more wealth and to tighten his grip over people and stuff with terror; Arya treats him the way a police officer should do while on duty. This very situation acts as a reminder that we all must be sincere towards work we are engaged in, for that is what shapes and re-shapes our character; bringing calmness amidst chaos of conundrums.
Embracing another important lesson is how Arya is presented before us, a lesson about one of the crucial aspect of our life- our Past. Hoodwinked by heart-wrenching accidents his past is bedecked by pains and sorrows which eventually took him to mental asylum. Although he failed to be impervious to everything he had had so far, nevertheless he made a bold comeback. He relinquished nourishing his past memories, though partially, and taught us how important it is to remain abandon our sufferings of the past but not the lesson that it bought.
Finding and helping others find a balance when everything is torn away by sword of crime and false deeds, SSP Shivani Verma, another center character of the story symbolizing a woman’s strength, completes what Arya leaves in! Establishing her in one of his previous books, The Investigator Series, S.Verma shares almost same traits with super-cop Arya. But the soft corner she carries in her heart for Arya is what brings her under the lens. Having had a woebegone marriage, which left her squirming after ending in a divorce, she continues to be a loving mother and Lady-Singham. But then the fog of blistering sorrows vanishes when Arya enters her life, especially in the life of her daughter, Payal- a sort of reunion of souls which the author has presented in “The Investigator Series”. It indeed is a great commentary by the author on the feelings of both for each other, especially that of S.Verma’s for Arya, which acts like a break from all the horrendous crimes happening in the story.
Sharing my unfiltered thoughts and interpretations, the theme/idea of the book reminds me the drama presented in the greatest epic of Indian mythology- Mahabharat. Though not intentionally connected to it, for me it embodies a message which Mahabharat tried to circulate in the society- Your deeds matter, be it right or false. From the inhuman activities happening at Little Angles Orphanage by Stephen Raj and Bullet Baskar, to the passion for duty which Akbar Ali carries in his heart; from Kesavan’s greed for power to IG Chowdary’s selfless service, from Elizabeth’s childishness to Rudra Guru’s vicious mind; everything is an action by every character, be it major or minor, in the book shapes and reshapes the microcosmic world presented in the book. And that’s how the real world operates- we do something and there’s a reaction to our action which further impacts the lives of people around us. If our very action is wrong and immoral and harmful, then so will be its reaction, therefore ruining the lives connected to us. And if we act wisely and lovingly, then there exists a prosperous society.
Another strong message which the book carries is that truth paves its way unabated no matter how obstacles it has to face, no matter how barbarous powers try to slow its pace, it just keeps moving. Furthermore, if you embrace it honestly, then all your actions will never pass unnoticed. Though not instantly, though not materially, though not by any person, though not fully; but truth is always rewarded, in one or the other. In the book too, truth has been represented in the form of Arya, whose actions curtails the evil and are rewarded with latter’s elimination form the society. He remains impervious to every difficulty he faces, he makes sure that his thoughts never mix with his feelings, he’s a pedantic too; which shows us another aspect of truth- it brings tranquility of mind. It’s an aspect or characteristic we have in sparse; however we need it because it is indispensable. On the other hand those who are selfish and uses falsity to fulfill their needs, characters like Bullet Baskar, Kesavan, Rudra Guru in the story, doesn’t have this tranquility and are ultimately whipped by karma, for they cannot think like an honest person. Truth is what brings you close to salvation.
Another most important lesson woven in the tapestry of the theme is the impressionable and quicksilver identity of humans; which is my favourite lesson of the book. We humans change, and it is shown so perfectly and metaphorically in the first chapter of the first part of the book titled as BOOK 1- CHENNAI, where the author introduces the character Singer Jeyanth Anandan, who, in a sense is the bugbear and gives a kick start to the action packed story. A neatly delineation of character, backed up by strong reasons, the author has shown his transition from a poverty-stricken guy to a slum dog millionaire; how failed he was at earn a subsistence livelihood, how depressed he was when his attempted suicide, how he stole money, how he moved to a city to work, how people started loving his voice, how he auditioned and how he sally forth to the throne of limelight and success, and how he became everything from nothing. Situations are like these are ubiquitous- people toil and get what they want. But there’s more into it- when people don’t have much, they have enough time to think what they will when get that much. As drawn from the plenteous knowledge of reality, though employed fictionally, Jeyanth’s character might have had some ambitions, and as I know the world, his ambitions might have been that of a wise category, as in to be helpful, generous and kind towards needy and deprived. If we surmise it, then that’s not the case with him, in fact it’s exactly the opposite of it. He turns out to be a womanizer, gambler of luck, the good lurking inside him gets totally replaced by evil. Same is the case of another character named as DGP Satyadev, who joined the force with same passion like Arya but eventually forced to succumb to evil powered people, signifying that sometimes people change not because they want to, but because they have to, they don’t have another option. But unlike the DGP, SSP Bhairavi, shown as a best friend of S.Verma, always had an option, nevertheless she chose a wrong path to accumulate wealth and power, without even caring the dignity of relationships. Putting these dissimilar situations in similar words- We always have a choice. And that choice defines who we’ll become.
Forgetting the God’s way and humiliating the humanity, our modern world has undoubtedly reached at great heights. A sacrosanct yet a barbarous incident which motivated the author to dedicate the book to all rape victims and to their sufferings, is Ahalya brutal rape- a sensitive issue handled with utmost maturity, aided by precise selection of words are few reasons why it just penetrates into our minds. Keeping the clichés of law and justice aside, I fully support Arya’s retaliation for the rapists. Author has tried to show us God’s way, and walking onto it or not, is in our hands.
Giving it an end by repeating what I said initially- Author Arvind Narsima with his Arya is not the second Arthur Conan Doyle. He is first Arvind Narsima.
Reviewed by Author Vikas Chaudhary
The novel “Arya’s Hunting Ground” is a sensational crime thriller by the bestselling author of the recent years, Arvind Narsima. Arya, the hard-core cop, is the protagonist of this crime thriller novel. A deadly encounter specialist, hater of the law breakers, also has his own unforgettable hurting past. Being a CBCID officer he’s tangled in the murder of a spoiled reputed singer, Jeyanth Anandan, who is the son-in-law of a powerful politician Aadhi Kesavan. Many turn of events occur since his involvement and that leads him to Puducherry. Finally the intelligent cop cracks the case and drags the criminals to justice.
The above paragraph is just the glimpse of the whole novel. The real review begins here.
In this novel, the author has portrayed the evils of the society in a crystal clear manner. Certain happenings in the society those are unseen to common people are keenly observed by the author. One who reads his book can acquire the wisdom and knowledge of the true colour of the current society. The author has beautifully depicted the corruption of every single man irrespective of age factor. Even a juvenile is being corrupted. Innocent kids who are just below the age of 10 are being kidnapped, brutally raped and mercilessly killed. The sufferings of those kids and the parents can melt even a frozen heart. Not all but most good looking gentlemen who have powers are not human. The author’s despise over the masked politicians is clearly shown in this novel. The author said, “These human predators happen to be more brutal, ruthless and cold blooded than the wild, yet hugely refined and disciplined jungle animals.” He described them by these words after the brutal rape and murder of an innocent orphan kid. In this aspect the author compared them with the animals in the jungle, but in my opinion, these dickless creatures aren’t worth to be compared even with any animals in the jungle. They aren’t really worth it, as the animals in the jungles have animality. But these spoiled brats possessing power and money in abundant do not have least of humanity. Well, they aren’t humans too to have humanity. The one incident from this novel that roughly shook me was the gang rape of an 8 year old kid, Ahalya. She was abducted while suffering from the initial stages of typhoid with severe fever. When she pleaded for some water, those bloody hecks fed her with beer. Spoiled her hard as they could and murdered her and finally threw away the demised body of the innocent child like garbage behind a bush. But towards the end they deserved what they have to. Those heartless beasts were ruthlessly killed by the raging mob. Arya made it happen. Each and every incident that is depicted in the book obviously portrays the true colour of the current society. Right from the rape of kids to the illegal affairs of married women and men are rightly projected in this novel by the author. The author Arvind Narsima also explained about the predators and the opportunists of the common societal atmosphere. He had said that men are mostly predators and women are opportunists. It’s purely true as he said; “some men are predators, as some women are opportunists, and most formidable of them all are those who have both traits in them” and he has proved this through several characters in his novel. The best example from the novel would be a strong female character, whose name I’m not willing to reveal as it deals with one of the greatest twists in the fast moving plot. She is actually placed in a powerful position through which she can bring justice. But since being an opportunist herself, she gets involved in crime related activities with a male, who is a predator and uses her to shield his crimes.
Apart from the serious situations, I admire the jokes that are cracked in between the fast moving plot. Some of the jokes that made me laugh out my heart were; when Arya received a call from Payal, a four years old kid, to have a discussion on cartoons when a firing explanation was goin’ on by Arya in front of all his junior and senior officers about the mysterious murders of Jeyanth and Goorka. The sudden change of expressions of Arya talking about cartoons like a child over a phone mystified some officers. The second was when Shivani went red over Arya due is long absence. The way Shivani accused Arya for his uninformed absence to her, indeed made me laugh out so loudly. The third one was when Arya’s new shoes got dumped in sludge; he accused the villain for the damage that was caused to his new shoes in the final chapter.
This novel also deals with the personal aspects of one’s life apart from rapes, robberies, murders and other crimes. Aspect of love and friendship were keenly differentiated. When it comes to friendship, I would say the friendship of Arya and Elizabeth. Elizabeth has her own unforgettable past too. But it was Arya who recognized her true potential, and became best friends. A true friend is the one who make us realize our own self when others don’t. Arya did that in Elizabeth’s life. And that’s true friendship! The author Arvind Narsima has depicted the true friendship in its most beautiful way. Next comes love. In my opinion, the love that is born out of pain, separation and hurt, is untouched and pure always. And that I’d say as pure love. True love can stand the separation, and is unadultered without the involvement of lust motives. Shivani’s love for Arya is of one such love. Her love for Arya took its shape when she was hurt, separated and indeed it was painful for her. But she endured the pain, hurt and separation. Her love for Arya made her endure the worst pains of her life. It’s true love! Another kind of love was that, which is unable to stand the separation. It’s the direct contrast from the previous one. It’s the love in which lust as physical pleasure plays crucial part. This kind of love will never last long. Pathetically, nowadays, only this kind of love out of lust is present all over the globe. Understandings of the hearts are given less importance. The love of Varsha and Nitish would be the best example. Their love isn’t untouched as they were planning to have a so called love making in a resort before they could get married, even before the talk of marriage is revealed to their parents. The author Arvind Narsima has rightly said, “Where relationships are concerned most guys these days needed more than just the love of hearts.” These words are actually true. There are some guys expecting something high than the love of hearts. Further he says, “Ironically, most of the guys think their girls would deflect if they did not take the relationship to the next level and girls on the other hand, feared that they would lose their guys to some other girls who would comply with certain demands that have become mandatory these days.” I strongly agree to these words of how love is considered these days by both girls and boys.
Finally I conclude that the author Arvind Narsima’s novel, ARYA’S HUNTING GROUND would be a roller-coaster ride of emotions. As I said earlier, it’s a sensational crime thriller as it mostly deals with white collared criminals who are the invisible rulers of the society. The portion of love and friendship adds final beauty to the novel. If anyone wishes to explore the roller-coaster ride of adventures along with its emotions, ARYA’S HUNTING GROUND is always the best.
Reviewed by Poet Nandhini Chithra