Thursday, 16 February 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
A thriller based on the deluge of 2018 in the flood plains and hills of the
Periyar river in Kerala, Red River Rising by Husna is a
natural disaster novel; one of the very few from the genre in India. The effects
of climate change and environmental degradation are a reality that hold us all
accountable and the author has tried to convey this message in a tragic
narrative. The plot takes the reader on a
roller coaster ride, unsettling at times, resonating with the reality of a post-truth world. The story revolves around five characters who are affected by
the river and whose lives become inexplicably entwined.
The narrative opens with a disturbing relationship between a young woman,
Lakshmi, with the Periyar river. Her traumatic childhood, social conditioning
and relentless search for love push her to the edge.
Radha – an activist from Delhi, travels to the tribal town of Attapadi in search
of her husband Krishnan, whom the authorities allege is a Maoist sympathiser. Mani – A resident of Attapadi belongs to the Kurumbar tribe and is involved in the marijuana trade in the region and assists Radha in the search for Krishnan. Sabu – A fisherman from Vypin is instrumental in rescuing and evacuating those affected by the floods in the Attapadi reserve forest. He stumbles upon vital information regarding Krishnan.
And at the center of it, all is Krishnan, Radha’s husband who has gone
missing. In the search for Krishnan, Radha discovers startling truths that have
graver implications for her life and society.
How did Krishnan disappear? Where is he? Will Radha be successful in her
search for her husband? Can Radha and Mani survive the treacherous waters of the deluge? What is the mystery behind the mass burial in the middle of the
forest? All these questions remain the crux of the story.
