"It was a wonderful experience interacting with you and appreciate the way you have planned and executed the whole publication process within the agreed timelines.”
Subrat SaurabhAuthor of Kuch Woh Pal
It’s 1980, and Mahesh Pal has just a couple of weeks before he flies out to start a new life in London for his doctoral studies. It hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing: His parents are unhappy that he hasn’t taken charge of the family business and settled down with a wife and kids. They are even more disappointed in his desire to move abroad.
Mahesh remains steadfast in his decision until he receives an unusual letter. A professor whom he barely knew, Devesh Tripathi, has passed away, leaving behind a box of possessions that Mahesh must retrieve in person. Before he knows it, he is on a train to Benares to pick up the box before leaving for London.
Aarvi Lal, the daughter of a local Benares bookseller, enjoys working with her father in his shop. Books are her whole world, and she’s dreading the day of her marriage—as well as all that will change with it when she starts a new life with her husband. But things take a mysterious turn when she’s informed that Devesh, her father’s friend, has left behind a folder and books for her.
Mahesh and Aarvi discover that they have received a series of crosswords, and solving them unearths cryptic clues. Their answers unravel a mystery about who Devesh truly was and whether his death was really an accident. But why did he choose them, two crossword puzzle aficionados from different corners of India, to reveal the truth?
As the pair get closer to finding the answer, they form a friendship that quickly blossoms into something more. But they are running out of time . . . and solving the mystery has bigger implications than they had ever anticipated.
Aditya Banerjee
Born in India, Aditya Banerjee moved to Canada in the nineties. He is a graduate of McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and Manipal Institute of Technology in Manipal, India. An avid traveler, he is a history buff and has authored several mysteries and fiction novels. He is the creator of detective Shankar Sen and the author of Broken Dreams: A Callipur Murder Mystery, Stolen Legacies, and Death in the Walled City.
