Ishani Bose

I Don’t Do Things; I Overdo Them.

by Dec 30, 2024Art, Literature, and Culture

“I Don’t Do Things; I Overdo Them.”

..Says author Manreet Sodhi Someshwar, who was in Pune to launch her book, The Taj Conspiracy. She talks about the historical crime thriller at length, the research behind it, and her future plans.

The Taj Mahal is the epitome of beauty. One look at it, and you will be overwhelmed with every plausible feeling, from admiration to enchantment to sheer ecstasy. But, how many of us know the history behind this monument, except that Shah Jahan made it for his beloved wife Mumtaz?

Writer Manreet Sodhi Someshwar’s recent historical crime thriller, The Taj Conspiracy, not only edifies its readers about the white marble monument but also keeps them hooked on the mystery and suspense that looms over it. On her recent visit to the city to launch the book, she opens up on why she chose the Taj Mahal as the story’s focal point. “The genesis of The Taj Conspiracy lies in my last visit to the Taj Mahal. We were accompanied by a guide whose lack of knowledge and narrative disappointed me. At the time of departure, I turned to see the Taj for the last time, and amidst the mist swirling around its marble dome, the monument looked somewhat forlorn, as though it wanted to tell a story.”

The story is about a Mughal scholar, Mehrunisa Khosa, who staggers upon a plot to obliterate the Taj Mahal when she finds the Taj supervisor dead and the Quranic calligraphy on the tomb of Mumtaz changed to propose that the monument was of Hindu origin. What follows is a series of twists and turns that keep the readers at the edge of their seats till the mystery of the conspirator is revealed.

This book, the first of the trilogy that Manreet calls the Mehrunisa series, is very different from her earlier books, The Long Walk Home and Earning The Laundry Stripes, both critically acclaimed novels. After writing The Long Walk Home, which took the author seven years to complete, she wanted to write something light – a thriller juxtaposed with historical facts. “As I am a history buff, it seemed ideal. But I’m a Punjabi. I just don’t do things; I overdo them. It took me five years to finish The Taj Conspiracy,” the author and now a full-time mom says with a sigh. Ask her why, and she says, “I spend a lot of time researching as I am particular about the accuracy of my novels, especially when it comes to facts. Historical research in India is a tedious task as the data is not readily available, and incidentally, all the research scholars or academicians related to the subject are foreigners.”

The most interesting character in the book is Mehrunisa, the protagonist, who, like the Taj Mahal, is a product of two cultures: Persian and Indian. Being an ordinary woman in a patriarchal society, and not someone larger than life such as James Bond and the likes, she is portrayed to be vulnerable with the massive task of saving the Taj Mahal from the perpetrators. “For me, she is a metaphor for the Taj Mahal, which will help people build a relationship with the monument that can otherwise seem very cold and impersonal,” she says.

Manreet is currently working on the sequel of the book. “Hunt for the Kohinoor will be released next year. I also want to work on a story related to the evolution and history of Sufism in Punjab,” she says.

About the author

    • Manreet Sodhi Someshwar has an MBA and a degree in engineering.
    • She is a recipient of the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association award and the Creative Abbey.
    • Her articles have been published in The New York Times, International Herald Tribune, South China Morning Post (Hong Kong), and numerous other Indian newspapers.
    • She considers Shakespeare and Mirza Ghalib to be her literary gurus.