Book Review: Pralay - The Great Deluge by Vineet Bajpai

The first book that I read by Vineet Bajpai was Harappa - Curse of the Blood River. The writing style, the characterization, and the whole narrative was so engrossing that I had to read the next in the series.

If I can make a comparison, it was like watching Bahubali part 1 and then waiting anxiously for part 2. This review comes very late but as they say, better late than never.

Pralay - The Great Deluge, by Vineet Bajpai is the sequel which starts off where Harappa ended. The protagonist, Vidyut is badly injured while trying to fight an unknown enemy. The story reverberates with instances of darkness and evil spilled through a civilization that is trying to breathe it's last. The narrative follows the same style of flipping back and forth between different eras that relate to one another through stories of 1700 BCE Harappa, 2017 Banaras and 325 AD, Bithynian City (Turkey).

In an intelligent interplay of narrative, Vineet once again manages to engross the audience and yet again leaves us longing for more.

Vineet introduces many new characters and paints them so vividly through his words that each one holds his own. His knowledge and interest in our history and mythology clearly shows through in the way he presents each situation in the story with fiction cleverly woven in.

You are introduced to Trijat Kapaalik, a "maha tantric", an aghora but why does he dread the great Dwarka Shastri, Vidyuts grandfather? What does he mean when he says, 'Kapaal arpan toh hoga aaj, prabhu, kapaal arpan toh hoga' (the skull offering will happen today for sure, my lord)

When Manu meets Matsya, you can almost feel the divine presence of the mighty fish that salvaged all creation, one of the dashavatara, divine avatar of Lord Vishnu.

Does Vivasan Pujari die at the hands of the people of Harappa or does he lay a curse on the entire civilization? What causes the great Pralay that the author refers to in the title and who will survive it?

This is a must read specially if you've already read the Harappa, as Vidyut, the 21st century Devta challenges to topple the World Order. 

A gripping tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat.