Television journalist Anjana Narendra just can’t keep her head straight when it comes to cricket vice-captain Avinash Katagi. The mere sight of him sets her heart hammering and melts all those rational defences. This doesn’t bode well for her marriage. This tale is set in 1996, when pagers still existed, cell phones were new and illicit romances were taboo.
A romantic walk in the botanical gardens and a lunch date later, Anjana finds her face plastered in the society pages of the Bangalore Star—‘Secret tryst’ it was called. To add to the confusion are the late night and early morning calls from Avinash.
Scandalous
Even as Anjana is swept off her feet into a whirlwind romance, the reporter within her sniffs out the biggest scoop of the season — one that could shatter Indian cricket. The enormity and sensitivity of what she has uncovered sees her deep in trouble with not just the cricket board, but her bosses as well. Everyone wants to know who her source was, her job is at stake, her marriage is falling apart, but will she spill the beans?
The plot takes time to gather speed, but soon the readers are kept wondering what’s next. The three elements — illicit affairs, cricket and the ‘scoop’ of the season, — make for a good read. Will Anjana reveal her source?
Is Avinash in love with her or is she just an obsession? Will Anjana try to fix her marriage? Shocking revelations make her question her decisions, the confusion adds to her dilemma, and the plot makes crazy, stupid love get a whole new angle.
The story centres on Avinash, Anjana, their affair and the cricket-related scoop, with other characters playing minor roles. The leads know what they want and they stand up for what they believe in, and this is what one will take away from the book.
Title: Delirium
Author: Sowmya Aji
Publisher: HarperCollins
Price: Rs. 299
