Book review: A tale of unconditional love in the purgatory

Are you a reader on the lookout for thrills and chills and do you like your horror nicely grilled? If yes, then Karishma Attari is definitely the author for you. Close on the heels of her electrifying debut novel (I See You) comes the equally spine-chilling sequel, Don’t Look Down.

For the uninitiated, the previous book ended with the protagonist swinging a deal with the devil in an effort to save her parents. Alia Khanna, daughter of celebrity parents, is now about to turn 18. She is changed however, and feels no hunger or thirst, needs no sleep and is not bound by human limitations. Like her friend Chris whom she has brought back into a half-life existence after his suicide, Alia now resides in the no-man’s land between the living and the dead. On the face of it, however, she is a regular Mumbai collegian driving to St. Xavier’s College for English Literature classes, and canoodling with her boyfriend, Sid. A bunch of lively friends and professors who had debuted in the earlier book — Aliefya, Raoul, Ronjita, Father Clarence and others — waft through this one, too, as do the devoted maids and cook of the Khannas, Mary, Gail and Asif bhai. There is a rising sense of menace in Alia’s life as the safe days granted to her in the barter with the evil Baba of Saat Rasta appear to dwindle. A week prior to the mother of all coming-of-age parties in Khanna Villa (which climaxes rather unhappily for Alia) she is attacked by a bat in her own backyard. A homicidal streak unleashed, Alia gives in to a Want, and the bat, consequently, is pulverised. And then unleashes a string of unsettling events that test Alia to the utmost. Strange bonds are forged and there is desertion, betrayal and treachery from loved ones even as friends turn into foes and vice-versa. At the core of all chilling happenings are the palatial mansion of the Khannas, Alia’s home, and the maze in the garden that have lain dormant for a while but are beginning to stir malevolently. A walk on the beach and an unfortunate encounter with three would-be rapists unleashes her need for annihilation yet again even as Alia realises that her Wants, getting increasingly uncontrollable, are in danger of running amok. There is pressing guilt for her hunger for instant gratification as Alia, in an effort to calm herself submerges herself in her bathtub periodically and plays out her memories and premonitions under water. Strange and sinister accidents and assaults leave Alia seriously injured but belonging to the half-living, her body heals itself quickly. Chris, a guardian angel of sorts, is always inexplicably present in her every moment of need even as a resentful and jealous Sid tries to pry them apart. Alia, caught in this mesh of relationships, finds herself torn both ways.

Bobby, the ghost of a child sacrificed by the Baba and with whom lies many secrets, reappears, (mis)guiding Alia towards ruin. Deesh, Bobby’s twin brother, brought back from the netherworld by Alia, also breezes in, his intentions inscrutable. As life gets increasingly murky and turbulent for Alia, her parents, smitten with each other over decades, walk out on her in her moment of crisis; Alia is left to fight her inner and outer demons with only Chris and Sid for company. As the book heads towards its cataclysmic and horrifying finale, the stage is set for a revengeful sequel.

Attari builds a parallel world with a great deal of imagination and detailing. Terms like Wants, Despair, Desire, Haze and Change are self-explanatory and interweave with pagan rituals (performed by the Baba) to create an intricately woven supernatural world. Crucial events from the earlier book are dug up unobtrusively giving a first time Attari-reader a comprehensive picture of past events. The plot of the book is quicksand terrain, one never knows what is going to rise from or sink into its menacing depths. The author’s prose is crisp, witty, riveting and racy, refusing to grant the reader the opportunity to dawdle. One chilling incident cannons into another lending the book its unputdownable quality. Total conviction is evident in the writing, a factor of supreme importance in a work of fantasy or horror. Imagery is Attari’s forte for sure and there is great skill visible when she describes a landscape, a mansion, a time of the day or a certain kind of atmosphere. The building up of horror is subtle and underplayed leaving a great deal to the reader’s imagination; a technique that is much more evocative that overstating the paranormal. The details of the Baba’s rituals — fire, knives, human sacrifices, trading of souls and a raven as the Baba’s familiar — are deeply disturbing and although the plot is wildly imaginative, the horror generated is very real. Alia’s despair at being an entity, who can never switch off, sleep and reboot, is all too palpable as are her efforts at appearing normal to the world.

At heart the book is about unconditional love. This is essentially about the love triangle between the characters Sid, Alia and Chris, all three caught in a snarl. Alia, her own worst enemy, vacillates between her two swains, eerily bonded with one and deeply in love with the other, although being an other, she despairs at not being able to reciprocate the love of a human. This is also a Mumbai book as the author takes the reader traipsing along familiar landmarks such as Kala Ghoda, Marine Drive, Haji Ali Dargah and Juhu beach. The much-loved and much-visited educational institution, St. Xavier’s College, with its spacious quadrangle and labyrinthine corridors comes alive vividly and most Mumbai-based readers are likely to feel an instant connect.

The characters of Alia (strong, willful, self-destructive and prone to uncertainties), Sid (charismatic, hot-headed) and Chris (ephemeral, devoted, ever helpful) are well etched while the others — Bobby, Deesh, Mary, Aliefya — are allowed to flow nebulous and complement the lead players. Alia’s famous actor father and his beautiful, brittle, daughter-hating wife leave a lasting impact on the reader in spite of their fleeting appearances; a complex and conflicted mother-child theme is a noticeable leitmotif in the book. The plot, the characters and the haunting settings work cohesively to give this book its well-rounded feel and the youthfulness of the protagonists along with stirring romantic passages make it the perfect read for young adults. Reminiscent in places of movies like Paranormal Activity and The Omen, in one’s mind’s eye one can easily visualise the book with its vivid imagery, translate smoothly into celluloid. At the end of it, Don’t Look Down is as much about love, friendship, loyalty, integrity and betrayal as it is about ghosts, black magic and shamans. A fast-paced, imaginative and wholly engrossing read that ends on a note of breathless suspense, one finds oneself eagerly awaiting the third part.

Kankana Basu is a Mumbai-based writer. Her published works of fiction include a collection of short stories, Vinegar Sunday, and a novel, Cappuccino Dusk.