A FORMER Bahrain resident and student has penned a thriller based on Indian politics after a sleepless night during a Covid-19 lockdown inspired him to crack on with his novel ambition.
Political intrigue enthuses Indian audiences in reality as well as in fiction and with a rising demand for the genre a leading publisher signed Fawaz Jaleel’s debut novel, Nobody Likes An Outsider.
“A dream is actually something that doesn’t let you sleep, literally!”, said Mr Jaleel, 28, a senior brand manager with a Hong Kong-based financial technology firm who now lives in Mumbai.
“For the majority of 2020 when we were locked in, something of this sort happened. I would finish work, do household chores, speak to friends, family, read or watch something and then sleep.
“Over the years, I have written three short stories but, I have always harboured this dream of writing my first novel. Call it being lazy or busy. I always pushed it to a later date.
“But then in 2020, I wasn’t able to sleep for various reasons. I was awake through the night yearning for sleep. And that’s when it started.
Debut novel
“I started researching a plot point and spent the nights of weeks and months obsessing over it. I created drafts, rewrote them and kept sending it to friends at several points. The feedback I got was amazing.
“Then, I sent it to a few outsiders who didn’t know me at all. Their feedback turned out to be positive too.
“A couple of literary agents wrote back to me expressing interest while some rejected it too. But eventually, I had to make a choice and when my publisher, Kalamos Literary Services, offered me a contract, I decided to take the next step – The journey towards publishing!”
Born in Vilakkudy, Kerala, Mr Jaleel completed his school education in Bahrain where he attended The Asian School and The New Indian School, Bahrain.
During his stay in Bahrain, he regularly took part and won literary and debating contests organised by schools and Indian associations, and also served as the vice-president of the children’s wing of Bahrain Keraleeya Samajam (BKS).
Set in Begusarai, the book introduces Yohan Tytler – a senior CBI inspector who investigates the murder of Ashraf Zain, a young politician from Bihar who started his own political outfit, The Naya Bharat Manch.
The book will be the first of the Yohan Tytler Mystery series and will co-star two CBI sub-inspectors, Ila Qureshi and Sukumar Azhagu.
Nobody Likes An Outsider is inspired by contemporary events in the modern political history of Bihar and India. The story takes the reader through incidents taking place from the 1970s to 2020. They are fuelled by political instances and a fast-paced narrative.
For fans of the thriller/mystery genre, this is going to be an investigative treat that will force them to crack the case along with the CBI officer.
Mr Jaleel’s three short stories in the past – Alternate Identities, From The Land of Palaces, and The Legend of Birbal’s Bull – are available on Amazon, Google and Juggernaut and the latter addresses the issue of abuse against women.
Anuj Kumar, owner of Kalamos Literary Services, who signed him, appeared thrilled at the collaboration. He said the publishing house believes in maintaining a fine balance with good content and good strategies.
“We are on a constant hunt for good content and provide a platform to debut authors like Fawaz to demonstrate their writing skills. Nobody likes an Outsider is a very intriguing and thought-provoking story that will enthrall and excite today’s readers. We are very eager to release it,” he added.
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