Maya, the blindfolded by Prasad Bag – Book Review

Maya – the name suggests too much. However, we are not discussing Maya in the way it has been discussed in our scriptures. Here, this is about a novel by Prasad Bag – Maya, the Blindfolded: Her Mistake? She Trusted Him. Maya is the protagonist who is capable of doing great at her work… working as a software person who is responsible for the encryption of documents for clients who are associated with Mr Kapoor’s company. Maya is generally happy with her work and others are as well. However, one certain colleague, Mrs Pinto, does not seem entertained with Maya and often looks for schemes to pin her down. This is known to all, including the boss of both. Why? You will know as you read the novel.

Maya’s residence is not a good place to live and you will know it as soon as you read about events at her residence. Her neighbour, aunt Suzy, tells Maya upon her return that Suman, the housemaid, was killed by a ghost. It is tough for Maya to digest such news. However, the turn of events compels Maya not only to believe in Ghosts but she starts seeing ghosts as well. Strange… but the plot twists very well here and readers will certainly be okay with the transition of the protagonist’s nature.

Events further turn very strange and Maya finds herself accused of the murder of Mrs Pinto (her colleague who was murdered in the office one night). Maya cannot understand what happened to her. While she is trying to figure things out, her memory is lost and she lands in further trouble. The clock is ticking; Maya has to prove her innocence in front of the judges; Maya is not sure what happened on the night of the murder… she does not know whom to trust and whom to doubt. And this is the major plot of the novel. Maya has to find proofs that could acquit her of the murder charge. In the meanwhile, she has to deal with her ghost sightings and prove that she actually interacts with them. Or, she will be proven mentally ill (she is already on medication). What’s the truth? Who is true? Who is Bhagat? Why does Bhagat’s ghost appear time and again to haunt Maya? Why did Maya see the ghost of Mrs Pinto, the one she supposedly murdered?

The novel has a tightly knit plot. Readers will have entertaining hours reading the novel. Moreover, the author has also worked wonderfully on the plot and made it look convincing, compelling and realistic. Nevertheless, the lack of a few more major characters could be felt as well. It is all about Maya and the novel beautifully complements that as well. However, for such a plot to succeed, a few more characters developed to the end of the novel could have been more helpful for the novel’s overall aesthetic and also for the enjoyment of the readers. However, still, the novel is very much capable of delivering a perfect crime thriller, and murder mystery experience with the topping of psychological-horror elements that will keep the readers excited about the storyline.

I enjoyed the novel. It is a simple, fun and fast read. Some scenes are over the top and might seem exaggerated. Besides that, the novel reads like a crime thriller in making and the conclusion is just perfect and sums it up nicely. You can read this novel (and enjoy it) if you are a fan of crime thrillers with add-ons by modern novelists. Prasad Bag has done well in his debut!

Get a copy of the novel from Amazon India. Click the link to the book below:

Buy the Kindle edition of Maya now – click here.

Review by Alok Mishra