Murder at Moonlight Cafe
Obviously ‘Murder at Moonlight Café , the signature story in this fine collection of eleven stories on a very wide spectra of themes – from whodunit to Aliya , a fashion DJs ‘asexuality’, the angst of a herpetologist and a woman in her fifties whose kleptomaniac instincts are reserved for bodies in coffins – is the one which the author likes best , but the story which I read many times over is Kalika. It draws from multiple stories in the Puranic folklore , but she puts it across so well for the younger audiences of today .
To recapitulate , this is the story of Kali’s creation in the hands of Parvati ( Gauri) to destroy Mahisasura, the king of the demons who had almost vanquished all the Devas (gods) and was about to assert his absolute control over all the three worlds. Having vanquished them all, Kali locks Shiva in an embrace of ecstasy which Parvati cannot comprehend , let alone accept. How could Shiva choose the dark Kali over the fair Gauri ? And why did Gauri create Kali in the first instance ? Kali gives the answer ‘ O Fair one…neither did you create me to kill Mahisasura , nor did you create me out of devotion to Shiva. You created me because of your pride. You could have defeated the asuras yourself , but you did not want blood on your fair hands. You created me and poured all your darkness into me , so that I could carry out the massacre , and you could emerge as the shining beacon of perfection. That , my dear Gauri was your real intent.’
Smoke and Mirror is a story of three young women: Anaya , a model who is happy because she is ‘liked’ on the social media , Pari, a young professional in mid-life personal and professional crisis and the nineteen-year-old maid Kamala , who blew away her worries dancing to the tik-tok. All three were obsessed with the mirror , and the smokescreen which covered the reality of their lives . The Herpetologist is the story of a ‘snake and frog researchers’ tryst with the world of ‘real men’ and their mean machinations , finally trying to settle down as a biology teacher in a high school. ‘Mariam’s Tears’ reminds you of Roal Dahl : ‘Death wasn’t kind. Life wasn’t either . But then, Mariam had the magic key -for everything , she found could be overcome with a ready smile ,and a sense of macabre humor’. In fact, in all her stories, the protagonist is not the conventional knight in the shining armour – s/he struggles with existential issues , like Yumne in ‘The Monk of Talagarh’ and Aliya in ‘The Ace of Hearts’ , a fascinating story of a woman who is fine with everything except the need or craving for sex. ‘It Watched Me’ is surreal for sure , and ‘The Itch’ takes you to the world of carnivore mixes, fangs , sulphur and vials .
‘The Boy Whose Hair Grew and Grew’ is obviously fantasy , but it’s the setting of the story- first in the barber shop and then the ‘tamasha’ in the public space for the setting of a record – and the final twist which makes it so readable . ‘The Price of Apples’ is a touching story which also shows that the growing up years are not necessarily blissful – they too are marked with indifference bordering on cruelty especially amongst young adults living in relative deprivation. From an administrator’s perspective , it is also a comment that all market intervention schemes for the support price of apples have had little or no impact, and that the ICDS centres , universal school enrolment and mid-day meals have not impacted the lives of many children even in relatively better administered states like Himachal.
Last, but not the least is Murder at Moonlight Café . Like offerings from Agatha Christie, it has a murder, suspects, clues, possibilities, witnesses , cops and the in this case , the wife of a cop who is there by happenstance to solve the mystery !
Ishavasyam took a sabbatical to complete this book, and she has certainly invested her time well. Each story transports the reader to a different world , and it is her fine attention to detail that makes one marvel at the length to which she has ‘immersed’ herself in each of the stories . The many insights which a reader gets from reading these stories is commendable . While reading the Herpetologist, one is actually transported to the deep jungles Western Ghats , the world of these creatures from the wild and the impact of climate change on almost everything around us. From here to the setting of the Moonlight café and the picturesque home stay. village ( both in Himachal ) to the memorial service in a Goan church and the world of ‘junkies’ in The Itch , and the university setting in It watched me – one can only marvel at how much time and research has gone into each of the characters. Likewise , in my favourite story Kalika , one can actually visualize the palace of Parvati , ‘an abode , located in the realm of ethers- that magical plane between the upper reaches of the azure sky, and the dark resplendent belt of the stars . The crystal palace stood on a solid silver foundation, flanked by two golden pathways in a garden dotted with gurgling fountains… the soft fragrance of sandalwood intermingling with the smoke of man-made offerings wafted into the palatial premises from earth far below …
Take another sabbatical Isha, and give us the grand novel with all the magical realism ! You can do it, and you have a band of dedicated readers now who will follow the trajectory of your writings in times to come . All the best , and to you, dear reader, please do pick up this book published by Xpress publishing and very reasonably priced at Rs 210 a copy – real value for money !
By Sanjeev Chopra
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