In sync with rebels of the world

The Misfit, by debut author from city Payam Sudhakaran, makes instant connect with all those who are convinced they don’t fit into this world easily

HYDERABAD: The cover of the book The Misfit has a group of birds flying in one direction. All of them in perfect sync, in complete unison and heading towards the horizon in harmony. Then below them, you can spot another bird, a loner at that, flying the opposite direction. All of a sudden, you feel for that lone ranger. Why is the bird flying away from the others? Is it a misfit? Will it survive? Every person who thinks he or she is a misfit in this world is bound to have an instant connection with the book cover and of course the book too. The Misfit, written by Hyderabad-based debut writer Payam Sudhakaran is a book that most rebels of the world will love to read.

The book’s description further adds to the intrigue: “He was like a kite severed from its thread. The world and his people didn’t understand him. He belonged elsewhere. He was a misfit. Jagadeesh, a Kerala youth, runs away from home after discovering a ghastly reality about his father and his lover, Meenu. In an attempt to leave his sordid past behind, Jagadeesh travels to the farthest corner of India, the Northeast. Dramatic events take him to Nagaland, a state boiling in separatist crisis. As he attempts to build a life in the land of the Nagas, working as a teacher and falling in love with a Naga beauty, fate strikes again, this time in the form of betrayal from a close friend.

Escaping the blood-thirsty tribals, he flees the hills only to befriend a Naxal leader, Venkanna, on a train journey.Jagadeesh accompanies Venkanna to Andhra Pradesh, to the heartlands of red revolution, determined to join the movement. But Venkanna has other plans for him. Jagadeesh is dispatched to Hyderabad, to start his life over. But will he find solace in the City of Nawabs? Is there a place for a man with no past among its regal ruins?”

The Misfit is fast paced, much like the fast-talking author who is a well-known journalist in the city. It is about love, loss, friendship, deceit, and hope. Sudhakaran has a knack of describing his characters – be it Brijit aunty or the protagonist Jagadeesh. His lines are short and crisp making it a zippy read on a quick journey. Go for it.

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The New Indian Express
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