Review: RIP

RIP - by Mukul Deva

Synopsis
RIP - The Resurgent Indian Patriots
Self-appointed guardians of a nation seething with anger at the endless scams and scandals rocking its very foundation. Vigilantes who vow to stop corrupt politicians and colluding civil servants.
Even if it means killing them. 

Colonel Krishna Athawale and his team of Special Forces officers rally to protect the country from the enemy within. They call themselves the K-Team. And no one is safe from their deadly intent. 

Hell bent on stopping them is Raghav Bhagat, rogue para commando, gun for hire and Krishna's bete noire.

Caught in the crossfire is Vinod Bedi, Special Director, CBI.
Reena Bhagat, a glamorous news anchor, embittered by her husband's betrayal. And two young boys, Sachin and Azaan, torn apart by the loss of a parent.

About the Author
An alumnus of La Martiniere College, Lucknow, the National Defence Academy, Pune and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, Mukul Deva was commissioned in December 1981 into the Sikh Light Infatry of the Indian Army. He took early retirement from the army after fifteen years of service  including a decade of combat operations in India and overseas. Now settled in Singapore, he is an entrepreneur, motivational speaker and an executive, business and creativity coach. He is also a Mentor on the United Nations Institute of Training and Research Afghanistan Fellowship.

Mukul Deva

Review

The cover of the book is appealing and is sure to catch your attention at a book store among others. It is very thoughtful and apt to the story. The red and the orange tint, depicting the rage and anger, a soldier with a gun, leading it's country to a new horizon in the background. 
The book is a page turner in it's true sense. You are so engrossed in the book, that you don't even pay attention to the page number, till you realize the book has come to it's end. Whether you are a slow reader, or a fast one, you'll definitely want to complete this in one go.

A team of five ex-commandos, who call themselves the K-Team as everyone's name starts with a 'K', Krishna, Kamlesh, Kashif, Kevin, Karan and Kulwant, are a bunch of hardcore patriots who are set to bring justice to the country and punish the culprit. 
The story starts with 3 murders, each having charges of corruption on them. The responsibility is taken by RIP, and they openly warn the government to murder 3 more people in the coming 3 days if their demands, to put the guilty behind bars and to bring better laws to prevent such things in future, is not met. 
Home minister Karunakaran, who himself is involved in many such cases, will stop the RIP at any costs. Special Director of CBI, Vinod Bedi is called up, to stop them. But for the fear of them being caught alive, Raghav Bhagat, an ex-para commando is hired to take the RIP down before the CBI gets their hand on them.
It's a heart throbbing tale of three groups who would do anything to get the job done with a lot at stake. 

The best thing about the book is its familiarity with the real world incidents in the past. The recent scams and cases could all be related to in this book. Even some of the characters. With the right message for politicians and the citizens, this emotionally charged thriller with flawless narration makes this is a book worth reading. Go grab your copy, this book ought to be in your bookshelves! 

Rating: 4/5

Book: RIP
Author: Mukul Deva
ISBN: 9382618198
Publisher: Westland
Pages: 298
Genre: Fiction
Language: English

Mukul Deva can be found at his official website, here.

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com.

The story of a newly bald guy...

S: I had always wanted to shave my head once. Just like that. Without any reason.
Me: Oh great! I've also thought the same.
S: Then let's shave our head together. How about this sunday?
Me: Why wait for sunday?

This is how my story started. Almost instantly, we were at the barber shop. We were both very nervous as it was our first time. We absolutely had no clue how it is done, and what the end results would be. What made the matter worse was this...
S: Are you sure there won't be cuts and bleeding? Please do it carefully, it's our first time.
Barber (unamused): You talk a lot.
To be honest, this really made us both scared. But we were now glued to the seats. Walking back wasn't a option. We both looked at each other, smiled bleakly, and just wished for everything to go well.

It was now the time for the barber's tools to act and do their magic. Slowly and slowly, I could feel the razor shave through my head. I could feel the cool breeze making it's presence felt on my newly exposed skin. All through this while I was going through a series of thoughts. To be honest, it wasn't really easy for me to lift my eyes up into the mirror and glance at the undone work. It was going through a moment of mixed emotions. I had a great feeling that at last it's finally happening. But at the same time you had to build up that courage to look into that mirror. Trust me, it wasn't easy. But when it was done, Is that really me?  - was all I thought. I couldn't help but started smiling seeing myself into the mirror. My both end of the lips were as far as possible. It was finally done, and I loved the feeling. I had 2-3 small cuts, but all those burning sensations were diluted by the happiness of this achievement.

Seeing each other in almost the same hairstyle, we both couldn't help but laugh at each other. We finally got what we had wished for. It was time to walk back.
I could see three of my batch-mates coming towards us. We both couldn't help but continuously looked at them and were laughing, making the ends of our lips poles apart. I could make out from their expression, Why are these two stranger bald guys staring us and laughing? It was when they were almost at a feet's distance, they realized what had happened. I still can't forget their jaw-dropping expression. All three of them, mouth open with shock, words refusing to come out. 
Continuing our endless walk from the college gate to the hostel, we faced 3 other group of friends, all having the same jaw-dropping expression and with no words to say.

All through the way to my room we gathered that un-wanted attention. To be really honest, I didn't liked it. That wasn't something I had expected before getting this thing done. Everywhere you go, you'll have people asking you as to why have you done this? I mean, I just shaved my head, people shave their stubble everyday, I just shaved a bit more, what's the big deal? I was sick of that after a point of time.

But this felt really good. When you've done something like this you feel light. Getting rid of that extra weight at the top of your head, really makes you feel light, allowing new thoughts to pour in. The cool breeze that would touch your newly exposed skin, is something really different, something that you'll love, in a strange way. Last time I shaved my head was back when I was an infant. It felt really strange touching your own head with your hand. Trust me. You'll know what I mean if you go through/have gone through this. I don't know how to explain this, but it was different, and difficult to do. The newly exposed wasn't used to this touching.

But apart from all this, your life does really change in small-small ways. First thing you do after shaving your head, is you take a shower. And then the first time water is poured onto your bald head, you'll have a strange feeling, you won't understand what's happening but it would feel something is different. And then you'll realize that now water isn't trapped in your hair, cause you have no hair anymore. All that you pour on your head, comes directly down. This might sound stupid to those with hair, but this is something you'll notice for sure. 
And then, while drying up your head with your towel - you just won't be able to do that. Cause with that stubble you'll have enormous amount of friction on your head that even rubbing you towel to the back would seem impossible. And same is while wearing your t-shirt. You t-shirt would just be stuck with your head. These are all the fun experiences.

But all of this made me realize one thing. Shaved heads are often associated with chemotherapy - a treatment for cancer which results into hair loss as one of its side effects. A person suffering from cancer is already suffering through a lot. And then after the treatment, with the shaven head, there is this hurdle of walking into the society with that shaved head. I got to share this part,although this isn't even an iota what they actually go through. You'll have people treating you differently, teasing you - verbally as well as physically, just because you don't look like what most people looks like. Just because you don't have hair on your head.
I don't understand why is there such a taboo for shaved heads? Why is shaving head considered as something bad? Something different?
I have no answer for this. 
But I've got my lesson, though I didn't took it in the wrong sense, but it might sound bad to many. So, I guess one should take that into consideration and Ban the Bald jokes. 

On the whole, this was a fun experience to be honest. And I guess once in a while everyone should try something like this - something different, something unique. Trust me, you won't regret it. You'll have an hell of an experience!

God knows for how long...

Me: So, you're coming right?

He: Absolutely! I'll come over and pick you up at 5?

Me: Cool! And...

He: What?

Me: Please come all alone, don't bring your stubble along.

He: Aah.. Alright! See you.

He was the laziest of all. No matter how many times I tell him to shave, he just won't. I don't know what the problem is with most of the guys. They just won't shave. I mean, who could walk around with that extra weight on that face? The face, covered with hair all over. Ew. How do they even survive. Don't they feel unhygienic themselves? I just feel disgusting when I'm around a hairy face. 

I'm in Hyderabad, away from him as I had a 4 month long job assignment. He was missing me, and I knew that. One fine day, just like any other day, I was walking back from my office to my home, it was a walking distance, and suddenly he comes infront me in the middle of the street. I was literally taken aback. It took time for me to recognize him as the street wasn't properly lit and the fact that I actually wasn't expecting him there. It took time for me to actually gulp the fact that he had actually come over for the weekend over there, just to surprise me. But then there was this thing which ruined everything. I still remember the conversation.

Me: Oh my god! What a surprise this is!

He: Indeed! I came specially for you just to come here so that we can spend our time together. Just you and me.

Me: Aww.. How lovely.

We walked together for sometime on the streets, until we reached a well lit area. And then I saw what I had missed all this while. A full grown beard. And the reason? He was just too lazy. The very second I knew he'd been glued to his Xbox all this while. He didn't even remembered the last time he took a bath. 

Then, I did something for which I regretted a bit later. I just walked off from there. No answers to his why's. I didn't answered his phone, nether replied to his texts. I felt really bad that day for what I did. He specially came for me, and all I did was to show my tantrums. But I know that was necessary. I had to act hard-stoned that day. He got the message that day and he went back to Bangalore.

That was another day. Eventually, he consoled me, sent a dozen of his shaved photos, and we eventually got back to good terms. Today was the first time I was going to meet him after that day. I was going back to Bangalore today and he was going to come and pick me up. I just hoped he remembered the message.

I got down from the bus, he was standing right in front of me. And that was a shock, a surprise rather. He was completely shaved. Not a single hair on his cute cheek. He looked the best that day. I just was so happy. 

Me: Why can't you be like this all the time?

He: I've changed. I'll be like this forever, for you.

God knows for how long, I thought. 

5 days later..

... he had a full grown beard, and the last time he bathed was when India won a match against Pakistan.

*sigh*

PS: This is a work of fiction.

This post is a part of this 'Shave or Crave' movement in association with BlogAdda.com.