Diary of a Dacoity - V R Chaitanya

 I met Chaitanya with Sheetal a while ago when he had finished the draft of this book. I read the manuscript and was impressed by the way he switched the points of view between the main characters. In fact the story is told through continuously shifting points of view only.

'Diary of a Dacoity' Chaitanya told me, was a real incident that happened. A dacoity happens in a household that belongs to a head of a design studio, estranged from his wife and living with his young daughter Aindri. There is a cat named Ramses who also has a voice. The other person in the house is the owner's mistress, a widow who comes into the house and takes over the running of the house (apart from two man servants). The child runs away to the ruins near by and sometime then starts the idea of a dacoity - for something valuable to the dacoits - an idol the child and her friend find in the ruins.

The dacoits are ruthless when they attack the house in search of their valuable - and it is shown in great detail - almost in slow motion. The inmates have no clue what they want, the dacoits know they have to get it hook or crook. In the end the widow says she knows where the idol is, and leads them away, in a way sacrificing herself for the others. What amazes you with this unique structure is that the energy never flags, the story keeps moving forward from each perspective until we get to the end.

Certainly one of the most interesting books I have read - for the story, the structure. Chaitanya is an original voice and knows the craft. He will certainly write so many more books and I am looking forward to reading them.  A fine debut.