After her life turns several hairpin bends, Devi— the protagonist of diplomat-turned-writer Vikas Swarup''s latest book, The Girl With The Seven Lives—lands up in a beauty salon in Mumbai. The tician is described in much detail. "I found myself gaining focus and confidence as I washed and dried her feet, cut and shaped her nalils, used a pumice stone to exfoliate the rough patches on the soles of her feet, and massaged her calves with arose-scented lotion, losing myself in the rhythm of the strokes and the soothing music playing in the background," says Devi.
There is perhaps some irony in the former spokesperson of the external affairs ministry and former High Commissioner of India to Canada writing about how to "tweeze, wax, thread, tint and apply makeup with finesse and artistry". Swarup laughs when I point it out to him during a Zoom chat. "I have never set foot inside a beauty salon, so I had to do a lot of research, he says. "I read many articles and watched YouTube videos to understand how exactly these manicures and pedicures are done..
THE GIRL WITH THE SEVEN LIVES
By Vikas Swarup
Published by Simon & Schuster India
Price ₹499; pages 401
And therein lies Swarup's wizardry as a storyteller—making fiction fun. Even as he deals with heavyweight topics, his writing bears just a touch of the outlandish so that you know you are in a made-up world. Living inside Swarup's imagination is a little like playing a high-octane video game. There is the slightly off-kilter feeling of not knowing where you are headed or how many detours you will be made to take. All you can be sure of? One heck of a ride.
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