End of Chapter 3 - Indians in Pakistan (An extract from the novel)

The guard shoved me aside and disappeared into the darkness. I was stunned by his heartlessness. There was supposed to be magnificent comradery in the jihadi movement. This was the impression I had before landing in Pakistan. And now I knew the bitter truth that we, jihadis, were a divided lot. It was every man for himself.

I finally reached my room. My eyes fell upon an old radio set kept aside in a corner. I switched it on and listened to the regional news. Then I fiddled with the cellular handset and tried to master its menu navigation system. It was of no use. I had never been good at this. I decided to ask Irfan to help me with it the next day. He really knew how to handle these things.

After some time I switched off the radio and changed into a night suit. Then I turned off the light and lay in bed hoping for a good night’s sleep. But the events of the day kept on replaying in my mind. And what an eventful day it had been! I kept on thinking for a while about our arrival in Karachi, the journey to the camp, the revolt of the Kashmiris, the introductions in the cafeteria, the sumptuous meal and the threat from the burly Lashkar guard. But there was one image that constantly dominated and pervaded all the memories of this exciting day. It was the beautiful face of Najma!

Indians in Pakistan - An Exciting Novel

I smiled at the irony that while we, the trainees, were equipped with rocket launchers, AK47s and other sophisticated weaponry, the head of the mission confronted us with a measly pistol. I was still smiling as my fingers pulled the trigger. The short, bald leader collapsed in a heap. Our jeep sped away.

We left the camp that night, leaving a trail of destruction in our wake. Scores of dismembered bloody bodies lay strewn all over the place. Almost every solid structure had been reduced to rubble. Small fires flared at various places. There were a couple of big fires that lit up the night sky. But what I remember most vividly was the ghastly silence just before we left the site.

The above segment is a short extract from my soon-to-be-published novel ‘Indians in Pakistan’, an action thriller that will leave you spellbound. It will also immerse you into a totally different world in which different forces are at play as jihadis plot a rebellion against their evil masters.

Firstly, love blossoms between a male and female jihadi during the terror training itself. Then there is a sudden outburst of patriotism among the Indian jihadis at the camp. However, the camp management uses harsh tactics to keep all the jihadis in check. Will the Indians revolt? What will be the outcome? Buy the book to get these answers.

‘Indians in Pakistan’ will also take you down memory lane by delving deep into the history of the subcontinent. It takes a frank look (a bit too frank some may say) on certain controversial decisions and actions of people from both sides of the border during and after the partition. It even revisits Pandit Nehru’s famous speech made at the dawn of India’s independence. 

Watch this space to find out more details of this breath-taking book. It will be available on Pothi.com within a few weeks and on several websites like Flipkart and Infibeam within a few months. But I can assure you one thing – it’s certainly worth the wait!

Rose Gardens and Minefields - A Critical Review

My book "Rose Gardens and Minefields" had received critical acclaim from a top book review site, Indian Book Reviews. I had submitted my book for the review over a year ago and hundreds of books were reviewed in that period. Didn't know what it would turn out like, but I was thoroughly pleased with the outcome. Check out this fabulous review at http://www.indianbookreviews.com/2012/07/16/a-little-bit-of-this-and-that/

For the uninitiated, "Rose Gardens and Minefields" is a compilation of poems, short stories and essays that cover a plethora of topics. It was published by Leadstart Publishers under their Frogbooks/Virgin Leaf imprint a couple of years ago. This book can be purchased at a sum below Rs 100 or $2 at various book stores across India including some Landmark outlets, Happy Book Store (Bandra) and Granth (Juhu). You can even purchase it online at Amazon and Flipkart.com. Happy Reading!!!