The Harappa Trilogy by Vineet Bajpai

 

An ancient secret vital for the very survival of humankind stays guarded in the holy city of Kashi. An evil corporation has to find out this secret to succeed in its centuries-long goal of world domination. A successful, dashing and unsuspecting young businessman meets his grandfather after twenty long years in a matth in Kashi, only to find out that everything he had ever known and believed is not like what they seem... 

What is the guarded secret of humanity? Why does the evil corporation want it desperately? How does the young, dashing businessman come in all of this? 

These questions and many more await the reader in the scintillating Harappa trilogy by Vineet Bajpai. Spanning across two millennia, the author effortlessly weaves stories that we know with those we don't to create a gripping story that would leave every reader at the edge of their seats. As the story progresses, the lines between fiction and reality blur for the protagonist and the reader. 

Vineet Bajpai shifts between stories that take across various ages and locations, at pivotal points in the story set in each era, keeping the reader hooked at all times.

As the collection has three books, it is only fitting that I review them one after another.... 

First is Harappa: The Curse of the Blood River. The story focuses on setting the tale properly by concentrating more on the story happening in the present age. Nevertheless, it touches upon the story set in the first millennia to give the reader a preliminary context about the whats and whys. The book ends at the right place to persuade the reader to pick up the next book in the series once Harappa is over. 

Second in line is Pralay: The Great Deluge. The story picks up from where Harappa left. The highlight of the second book is the introduction of new characters and new locations. In my opinion, Harappa sets the changes in motion, but Vineet Bajpai has a gripping trick up his sleeve in the second book. You'll enjoy it for sure. 

But the two books leave a lot of questions unanswered. The third book Kashi: Secret of the Black Temple, is the culmination befitting a thriller. All questions are finally answered, and the story has a cliffhanger ending for a fourth book in the series. 

The vividly described physical attributes and movements of each character and location add depth to the story. You will feel like you are transported into the scene and are experiencing it. 

Word is that the story is to be adapted into a motion picture. Wonder how that's going to turn out..... 

+: Gripping story

+: Believable entanglement of mythology

-: Certain portions of the story too good to be true. 

Ratings: 9.7/10

Verdict: Gripping, entertaining and possibly controversial (depends on how you see it)