I now want to write a thing or two about mystery and why this genre inspires me more than anything else in the world. I am a firm believer of the fact that mystery is an essential ingredient of a rich, healthy and colourful life. Imagine a world where there was no mystery, no suspense, and no intrigue. Wouldn’t it be rather dull and not worth living? That’s the only reason why, in everyday life too, we try our best to search for mystery in the lives of people around us. ‘Oh my god!’ we say ‘Mr.so-and-so’s son is going to marry? Well, who’s the lucky girl?’ We become restless until and unless we find out who that “lucky girl” is, but, mind you, as soon as we come to know of her identity, we lose interest. Why? Because the mystery is solved and there’s no thrill anymore. Well, I might sound like a sensationalist, but the truth is, however we might resent this, it is true. Human beings are wired to gossip because it is a precursor to mystery; as we try to unravel the motivations behind what people do and why they do it. And there’s nothing wrong with it. Studies have proved that a good gossip is actually good for our heart! A good puzzle not just makes slaves of our brains but also provides the fuel, the rush that is imperative to an existence beyond just surviving. That’s the only reason why we are still obsessed with Sherlock Holmes, a detective born in the 1800s, Victorian England. He continues to enchant us with his singular personality and an incessant craving for the just perfect crime. What I am saying is that what the world truly needs is a great detective and a mystery that we can solve alongside him. Bhrigu Mahesh is very different from all the detectives that have gone before him. There came a time when I was drawing a blank and he, with the amazing powers of perception that he has, understood my plight and taking my hand in his, safely guided me through the maze. It was then that I knew that he had now a life of his own!
My passion for writing was coupled with a burning desire to keep the mundane at bay, and what better way than to dive headlong into an adventure with a detective that I adore? Readers, I now submit Bhrigu Mahesh for your inspection. If you happen to fall in love with him like I did, you can always kick Sutte from his side, implant your thrill-seeking selves, and embark on an adventure that I have crafted only and only for your pleasure.
P.S. Oh yes! I just remembered. I should duly inform my readers that this book has been inspired by a true incident. In the village of Senduwar, it was indeed raining gold and an article that I read about the phenomenon in ‘The Times of India’, two years ago, fascinated me so much that I decided to weave the net of my first mystery around this once-in-a-lifetime incident. I have exercised my poetic license in describing the beautiful village of Senduwar.
Nisha Singh
19-02-2016