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• Genre: Socio-political Thriller
• Publisher: Niyogi Books
• Release Date: 15 Nov, 2016
• Pages: 284
• My Rating: 5 stars

This is the first book I have ever read which is based in Kashmir. My knowledge of Kashmir was very minimal before reading this book.

The book starts with a present day scene where Safeena and Bilal meet in Maharashtra and attack a police car which is shifting the prisoner Deewan to another jail. We are then taken to the childhood years of these three in the valley of Kashmir.

The book follows the lives of three characters- Safeena, Bilal and Deewan. Safeena and Bilal are Kashmiri Muslims and Deewan is a Kashmiri pandit. They are close friends who eventually get separated. Throughout the book, we see where their lives take them and the incidents surrounding Kashmir.

There is a lot of emotion and pain in the story of these kids’ lives. When the author tells the story of their youth, you smile reading about it because they are just like any other children but you also feel a dread in the pit of your stomach because you know it’s all going to go down for them.

The writing, narration and pace of this book is flawless. It is of just the right length for the story to be told. The authors writing style is simple, yet very gripping. I liked how he described the lifestyle and culture of Kashmir. It was like he took us there. We also come to know about the emotions of fear and isolation the people of this place have.

The book is very engrossing and I couldn’t leave it once I started reading it. It is also very heartbreaking, especially the fact there is so much truth in this fictional work. I felt like this book showed that the story of these people needs to be heard. It taught us how lives get destroyed in seconds.

This book is a must read. The book cover and blurb is very eye-catching and it does not disappoint at all. It gives us a lot of insight into the pain and agony of Kashmir and its people. It was a new and very enlightening experience for me and I’m glad I read it. I also think the author did a great job telling real events and situations by a fictional story.

“I received a copy of this book from Writersmelon in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.”