When Vedika and her family move into Fantasia, the place seems idyllic. The by-invitation, ultra-luxury gated community has breathtaking features. A centrally air-conditioned clubhouse with a bar, lounge and all sports facilities. Spanish-styled villas set around a lake, a golf course, a Zen garden, and a private forest. Emerging from a spartan, middle-class upbringing, Vedika is eager to befriend her elite neighbours.
Gradually, she senses that something is going wrong with her five-year-old son, Sajan. He seems foggy at times, unable to follow simple orders. Strangely, a few other Fantasia children also seem to exhibit
behavioural oddities. Before his scheduled appointment with a doctor, Sajan dies in a freak accident.
Vedika is jolted out of her numbing grief by a shocking revelation: Sajan was murdered.
Eager to find out what exactly happened to her son, Vedika starts investigating his death. She interrogates the children and the Fantasia staff. As she unravels her own memories and neighbours’ pasts, Vedika finds sinister links between Fantasia and a blighted slum in poverty-ridden Bihar.
Brinda S. Narayan holds a B.A. in Economics from Wellesley College and an M.A. in Communication from Stanford University. She currently lives in Bangalore. No Trespassing is her second book.
Pub date: 27 April 2019 | Imprint: Tranquebar | Price: INR 350