Ankush Saikia
I must admit a little bias before I write more. For one, it is set in Shillong, which despite a visit that didn’t deliver what it was supposed to, retains a wistful, charming space in my mind, mostly thanks to one Anjum Hasan. Also, the book is written by Ankush Saikia, whose Jet City Woman I quite liked, and who is now an Instagram friend. 🙂
I finished the book in less than three days, and would have finished it in one sitting if I hadn’t exercised some self control! That is a testament to its racy narrative, which just doesn’t flag in all of the 200+ pages. I thought it was just the right material for a slick flick.
The protagonist is Bok, a guitarist in a Shillong band, who is yet to take up the responsibilities of adulthood. He needs fifty lakhs to save his elder brother. That’s when he meets Christine, on whom the book’s title is based. What follows is a rollercoaster ride that involves, ammunition smuggling, cops, politicians, militants and a tinge of romance.
The author’s knowledge of Shillong and its surroundings is evident from the description of every route and shortcut that Bok takes in the book, not to mention the shops and restaurants. At first, I was happy because I could recognise a few places from my visit. It also adds to the realism. But once the story started picking speed, it did annoy me a bit, occasionally, because I just wanted him to get wherever he had to so the story could move. The book also seems an accurate description of the political and money games that are being played out in contemporary Shillong, and possibly all of the North East. The descriptions are vivid, and the language has been kept simple.
While he doesn’t really let philosophy come in the way of a good story, a few paragraphs bring out (probably) the author’s own pensiveness about how the town has grown and how its people had changed. “Progress had been made, but there was rarely anyone to record what had been lost”. I felt that this was a hometown boy’s impassioned dedication to a place he truly loves. Even if for some reason, that doesn’t excite you, the intense plot surely will.
