Books and ME.

My Experience with Framed

How many times have a book intrigued you by its cover? Sometimes, you need not go by the quote before picking up a book after being impressed by the cover of the book.

This week, I would write about a book which is a part of a mega-series written by a famed writer. 'Framed' written by the 'king of crime fiction' Mr Surender Mohan Pathak. This book is a part of the forty-four book series 'Vimal series.' Mr Pathak has written over three-hundred books till date and every book has been widely accepted by his fans.

Before getting into the book, I would like to talk about the author. The feat achieved by this writer is no ordinary. Writing over three-hundred novels and is credited to have created many series like Vimal series. Apart from it, he has also written Sunil series, Sudheer series, Jeet Singh series, Mukesh Mathur series, Vivek Agashe series, Vikas Gupta series, Pramod series, along with many more standalone thriller novels. He has also written a few children books and joke books. This itself is an achievement which cannot be achieved by everyone. His books are a raw example of Indie pulp fiction. Surender Mohan Pathak is not just the king of crime fiction, but he is a legend in this genre in the Indian literary circle.

All the books are written in Hindi, and very few books are translated into English. I got to hold of the English translation of 'Hazaar Haath' which was translated to 'Framed' in English. It is the twenty-ninth book in the Vimal series. It was a random pick after I heard him for the first time in the Noir Literature fest. Considering the book is a part of an ongoing series, I expected a continued story. But Mr Pathak writes anthology of stories in the series. This was a fresh story, but it had connections to the other stories in the series.

Sardar Surender Singh Sohal, who goes by the alias Vimal was a fearsome convict, but finally, he had left his dark past behind and lead a normal life. But fate had other plans for him. This book in the series does not talk much about his past adventures or how he ended up being the vigilante, messiah for the downtrodden and a terrifying scare for the underworld. This book gives you a hint about it.

Vimal's old nemesis, Mayaram Bawa is back. This time he is fully prepared to have his revenge. He has planned it properly, but he has no idea, Vimal is already one step ahead of him. The entire story is a cat-and-mouse chase with too many edge of the seat thriller.

The best part is how the story starts. The story takes place in Delhi during the 90s. So, you can witness the Omni playing an important part in the story. The writer visualises a Delhi which may not be prevalent in present times. The scenes, the places and the persons involved have all been properly described and are fitted properly in the story.

As I had mentioned, it is a part of the Vimal series, so there are lot many connections to the previous books in this series. But the writer has thought about mentioning it in brief so that a reader who has read none of the books in the series won't get confused. But the writer does not describe it in details leaving the reader curious and would go to read the other stories in this series.

Vimal's character is grey shaded. He was a convicted criminal. He was a mastermind behind many heists, but never ever proof was found on his name. Even though, there are no assets under his name releasing him of all the suspicion. He is a mastermind cruel person who has kept the underworld on the run. He is loved by the oppressed people of the society. He is the modern-day Robinhood with a hint of grey character like an icing on the cake.

But after many adventures, he decides to leave his past and work like a normal person, but it also has a catch to it. Nothing is what it seems. When a problem strikes his family, he is forced to come back and set the motion to normal. His wife Neelam and Suraj are in danger as Mayaram has eyes on them to take revenge due to age-old enmity. But Neelam is the wife of Sardar Surender Singh Sohal. She is well prepared for all the problems and with Vimal coming into the picture; the story takes a thrilling twist and turn.

At 337 pages, 'Framed' is an ultimate page-turner. I had completed the book in a day. It is a fast-paced edge of the seat potboiler. You just cannot afford to put the book down after a page is completed. Every page reveals something new, and you would be intrigued to know what happens next, and that is how you would never realise, but you would have completed the book.

Just imagine, a person has written over three hundred different books in the genre of crime fiction thriller. Every story is unique. The books of Mr Pathak can be used as a reference for many Indian writers who are writing crime fiction. It has the details and the beauty with which all the scenes have been described. As a writer, I am highly inspired by his writing, and I believe if you want to enjoy the essence of his writing, read the books in the original language, and that is Hindi.

There are so many books and so many series to be explored in the Surender Mohan Pathak literary universe that it feels impossible to complete all his books. But, nothing is impossible for a willing heart and I would like to complete at least two of his series out of so many series he has.

Until I upload my experience with another book, till then take care, be safe and keep on reading. Cheers.