T he Revenge of Kaivalya (Westland, Rs 350) was fully realised before it was picked up by publishers. Sumana Khan’s historical thriller is set in different time zones and places —there is present day Bangalore and Sakleshpura and a mystery 450 years in the making. “The book didn’t come together immediately,” said Sumana before a reading at Easylib, the online library. “It was put together; a bit like mosaic tiles.”
When it came to publishing, Sumana did her research and realised that while “Indian readers have always been open to genre fiction, they are not open to Indian authors writing genre fiction in English. That has changed since. I self-published Kaivalya with CinnamonTeal. It was my editor there who said it should be published. I approached Westland and here it is.”
The 39-year-old author who went to school in Malleswaram (Cluny Convent) and MES College admits to enjoying putting in Bangalore references. Café Coffee Day near Jyothi Nivas College, Baskin Robbins in Malleswaram 18th Cross, Regal Bar in J.P. Nagar, Puttenhalli Lake, Anekal all have walk-on parts in the book. “Oh yes I did have fun with the Bangalore bit. Most of the places (especially the eateries) are my favourite haunts. The main reason for setting the scene in Bangalore was because I know the place and this was essential to bring in authenticity especially since the action is quite fast-paced. And there’s always a thrill for a reader to recognize the places - the connect is instant.”
After working for a decade in Wipro, Sumana moved to the UK in 2009. “I am back to academics. I am pursuing my masters in Psychology. I enjoy reading thrillers and horror. I thought when I gave writing a shot, it would have to be something I like to read.”
Kaivalya follows multiple storylines. In Sakleshpura, there is the larger-than-life Dhruv, the forest officer who is investigating a strange death, Tara who is studying paranormal phenomena and the newly wed Shivaranjini whose life is turned upside down when she unknowingly picks up a pendant. In Bangalore there is Neel, whose swanky penthouse in Sarjapur reeks of burnt flesh, his friend VJ who is in the film business and is in urgent need of money to close a property deal in Sakleshpura, a tough cop, Shakti, and the mysterious gangster Matchu. Back in time, there is Kaivalya’s story. Set in Sampigepura, in the outskirts of Hampi, Poovamma finds and adopts a strange, gifted girl, Kaivalya, whose tragedy is in tandem with the Battle of Thalikote, in 1565 which resulted in the rout of the Vijayanagara Empire.
“The research was tough and interesting,” Sumana comments. “For information on the Vijayanagara empire, I referred to Robert Sewell’s A forgotten Empire . I have never been to Sakleshpura. I have a lot of friends who are avid trekkers. And the rest is all caffeine-fired imagination.” Admitting that reigning in such a vast canvas was tough, “especially the resolution,” Sumana says “it was a fascinating journey.”
Explaining the unusual name, Sumana says: “Kaivalya is more of a yogic concept. It is a state of absolute Samadhi, if you will, where one is completely detached; a blissful alone-ness, the attainment of moksha. This ‘perfect’ state of the soul is referred to as Kaivalya in Jainism. It is far more complex in the metaphysical sense. One can say Kaivalya is a state of being. It found a strong resonance during the Vijayanagara era, which was the golden era for Vedantic philosophies and literature.”
Attempting to describe the rationale behind Kaivalya’s anger, which prompts her to follow the object of her revenge through 400 years Sumana says: “For a rational person, no circumstance can justify such anger and vengefulness. When blinded by such vitriolic anger, reason and logic take leave and one ends up doing things that are destructive. In Kaivalya’s case, she is complex and mystical character and the strength of her emotions - both positive and negative - are beyond human. In a way, I also draw inspiration from our Asuras. Be it Hiranyakashyapu or Ravana, they were extremely accomplished in terms of intellect, talent, mental prowess. But when that very same positivity is turned inside out into something negative it results in catastrophe.”
Counting Stephen King and Charlotte Bronte among her favourite writers, Sumana says the history of Karnataka is largely un-mined in fiction. “At least when it comes to historical fiction in English.”
