Book Critics View: No Mans Land: Nilesh Shrivastava: 5 Shortfalls in Story And Plot

I have already posted a review on the book here. And it rarely happens that after completing the book, and writing a review I revisit the book again and keep thinking about it. So the whole credit goes to the author to write it so beautifully that forced me to write another review but this time from a different angle. May be for writing his next book, it might be helpful.

Though this is an excellent read powered by superb writing style of Nilesh Shirvastava there are certain flaws in the story that I could not digest and after closing the last page of the book, I thought I must share my views on what was lacking in the story sequence and plot so that the author might take it in a positive note to make his forthcoming stories’ presentation in a much stronger manner.

Here we go:

1.     Shreya’s Arrest: Agastya owns 50 acres of land in Gurgaon and is no less potential man there in terms of money and contacts. Shreya was living with Pranay there with lot of housekeeping staff. No doubt she was alone at home and her arrest was all plotted but the way Haryana Police barged in the house, insulted her to extreme lows, entered the room of Agastya as the owner of house was in Hospital struggling with a severe heart attack, and threatened the staff not to open their mouth or inform anyone about it is not realistic. Keeping in mind that the three policemen who arrested were of low cadre they could not have dared to speak in such harsh tone with a lady and should have had a lady constable to handle this arrest. The way they have been shown to hold and push Shreya and shout abuses on her is something which could have been presented in a much better way, and maybe all this was not necessary. Though it is quite realistic that Shreya was alone, she did not get a single minute to think of calling Pranay or Shashwat at that moment as the panicky scene created by policemen was such. I doubt, the current time which is shown in the book, it is possible for policemen to grab a woman and put it in their gypsy without any lady constable.

2.     Pranay’s visit to police station: As soon as one of the house staff informed Pranay on phone who was in the hospital with his father and Shashwat, he rushed to police station, first of all without telling anything about it to Shashwat, who was there only in the hospital. And on reaching at the police station, and surrendering to the situation, seeing Shreya being tortured brutally, mentally and finding himself helpless in managing and getting her out of it; he rushed back to hospital to inform Shashwat about it. Though he was not allowed at the police station to use their phone to call anyone, what about the mobile he had? What about finding immediately anyone outside the police station and asking for his mobile to make an emergency call.

3.     Constable: When Shashwat reached police station with a local MLA and got Shreya out of the torturous situation, she confirms that the game was ordered by a very senior position to arrest Shreya. Seems unrealistic that a police station in charge telling them the whole story with names behind the story before ordering them to raid the house and arrest Shreya.

4.     Arrest: Shreya’s arrest on legal front is impossible and so is the barging of policemen in the house without any papers in hand.

5.     Characters: Karan has been shown as a quite matured and sensible character. Moreover he loved Shreya though she rejected him. But looking at Karan it seems impossible to create this extreme situation to get Shreya arrested and that too in such an insulting and harassing manner. That too when his father was struggling in the hospital from heart attack.

Overall the last few chapters towards end could have been handled in a much better way to maintain the storyline and then probably the plot could have been presented in a stronger manner.