Cosmic Justice?

Dasamahavidya Rahasya or The Mystery Of The Ten Mahavidya is a murder mystery by Trinanjoy Bhattacharya. An audio story revolving around five murders in a span of more than a year across the city of Kolkata.

All the five victims are real estate agents but at the same time involved in other illegal activities too. Next to the body lies a blood splashed dupatta (long scarf) and a toy depicting the various avatars of Lord Krishna and a shloka written in Sanskrit in eulogy of  various manifestations of Shakti.

Inspector Ram Prasad Lahiri suspects a serial killer is at play. A few years back all the victims were associated with a  company founded by his cousin Shayantan Ghoshal. Ram Prasad is convinced that the killer’s next target will be Shayantan himself. Will he be able to save him? And why does his investigations again and again bring him back to the Officer In Charge of Jadavpore Police Station, the efficient Ms. Geeta Datta who has been instrumental in bringing down the crime rate of the locality considerably?

Trinanjoy’s super sleuth Ram Prasad has his own quirks. In between popping antacids, thriving on street side junks and dodging his wife’s astute enquiries, Ram Prasad or Ramu gingerly proceeds towards unveiling the dark secrets of the murderer.

The author pivots the plot around the “ten mahavidyas” (Great Wisdoms or Great Knowledge) significant to Tantric worship and Shaktism, representing the Divine Feminine as manifested in the deities Kali, Tara, Tripura Sundari, Bhuvaneshvari, Bhairavi, Chhinnamasta, Dhumavati, Bagalamukhi, Matangi, and Kamalatmika. Considered as powerful aspects of the goddess Mahadevi (or Adi Parashakti) they embody the fundamentals  of cosmic energies

According to some traditions, these intense, raw, profound forms manifested when the goddess Sati became enraged after her father insulted her and Shiva. (Source: Wiki)

Despite the intricacies of the context  the lapses in the narrative are glaring and the denouement too simplistic. It is fashionable to take the help of complex religious concepts, especially, in murder mysteries and suspense thrillers. However, it is not that easy to stitch the fabrics together.

Though nothing can substitute the pleasure of holding a book in hand and reading it, the audio story presents an engaging format. Much depends on the role of the narrator to hold the interest of the audience aided by apt sound design, background score and meticulous adherence to details to create the right atmosphere so that the listener can easily visualise the drama and assimilate the thematic essence of the narrative.