Ba’az of the Bengal Lancers-Uttiyo Bhattacharya

Book: Ba’az of the Bengal Lancers

Publisher: Juggernaut

Author: Uttiyo Bhattacharya

The book opens with a scene set in 1857, during the time of the fall of the Mughal Empire. This scene introduces us to the context of the story, though that connection comes to light at the perfect time in the book.

Cut to present times, an unwilling architect, who suffers a personal tragedy, comes back to his hostel and comes to know that his roommate’s village has an old connection with history. Deep down, our protagonist is interested in history and off they go to his village near Ambala. It is there that events are spun into motion, events that form the crux of the storyline.

There is an old village’s tale that our roommate’s grandfather tells and has been telling for a long time, every day. The next day, he decides to roam around the village and it is then he discovers something that connects the dots in the tale. When this is brought to the notice of the grandfather, he handovers some letters to him to read and make out the rest of the story.

Spanning from Haider Kalan to Delhi, Udaipur and finally Delhi, Ba’az of the Bengal Tigers is full of twists and turns. A story that seems to be a straightforward hunt for remnants of history turns out to be a maze of wordplay and cunningly placed clues. It is a well-researched book which comes out in the details of places and historical events. The style of writing is simple and relatable and the story moves effortlessly, forcing you to turn page-after-page until you read the climax.

And believe me, the twist in the tale would leave every reader gasping……

My Review, 4/5.

P.S. A special mention to the last line on the "A Note on the Author".