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Analyzing the themes of precarity and purity in the Dystopian novel ‘ Leila’

‘Leila’ is a dystopian novel that was written by Prayaag Akbar. It was published in 2017. Dystopian literature can be defined as the way the world is supposedly going in order to provide urgent propaganda for a change in direction.  ‘Leila’ is set in a futuristic and a dystopian world where the society is divided into different sectors, with each caste community having its own sector. Although a variety of tropes belonging to the dystopian genre were expressed in this novel, the themes of precarity and purity will be analyzed in this essay. The idea of ‘Indianness’ will also be explained through the quotes that have been cited from the novel. The theme of precarity can be identified through three factors- mainly social, political and ecological. The setting of the novel is set in futuristic Delhi/Mumbai. This connection can be made as throughout the novel, the term ‘sectors’ are used to describe different sections of society. This is a similar case in Delhi, where there are many locations that use the term ‘sector’ as a suffix. The novel can also be categorized as an ecological-dystopian novel. Global warming has finally taken its toll as it can be identified throughout the novel that the futuristic society has changed irrevocably due to climate change. The beginning of the climatic shift can be seen as- Every year the temperatures rose and the water problem worsened. Our fifth summer in the East End- Leila closing on three- the air was so dry you could hardly sweat. The newspapers led with panicked articles about the record-breaking heatwave. ( Akbar2017, p. 86) Through this quote, we can identify certain terms that reveal the declination of the environment. The rising of the temperature is a common characteristic of global warming.  The ‘water problem’ is also a recurring issue in most of the metropolitan cities in India, especially some parts of Delhi in recent years. Also, the terms ‘panicked’ and ‘record-breaking’ are used to describe the heatwaves that are affecting society. This shows a rapid but consistent degradation of the environment. The theme of precarity, in relation to political and social factors, can be noticed through some of the terms that are used to describe buildings or a certain group of people- such as ‘The council’, ‘The Repeaters’, ‘The Walls’ etc. All of these terms work as an allegory to the current political and social structure of India. ‘The Walls’, which in the novel are used to separate the ‘pure’ sections from the ‘impure’ sections, are allegorical to some of the gated communities that exist in Gurgaon and Delhi that are used to separate the elite class from the lower strata of the society. ‘The Council’, who represent the most respected members of the society, ‘Purity One’, are the ones who implement the laws and certain rules that everyone needs to follow. ‘The Council’ works an allegory for the radical political parties in India who base their foundation in orthodox beliefs. ‘The Repeaters’ are the group of people, who act more like a violent mob, who make sure that the rules implemented by ‘The Council’ are compiled by everyone. Thus, ‘The Repeaters’ are directly allegorical to the followers of these radical political parties. The capturing of Shalini and the killing of Riz by ‘ The Repeaters’, because she was a Hindu and he was  Muslim and they got married, is a representation of the communal violence that still exists between Hindus and Muslims in India.  ‘The Council’ in this sense, might represent a radical political party such as the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ), who propagate the idea of inter-religious marriages. Thus these terms and their functions in the novel reflect an exaggerated version of the already dystopian reality we live in. The second trope of dystopian fiction that was predominant in ‘Leila’, was that of purity. The futuristic city itself was named ‘Purity One’. As previously mentioned, the entire society was divided into separate communities called ‘sectors’, which were divided by walls. Also- Each sector had its own caste insignia, distinctive edges, signatures, backgrounds. The tricky part must’ve been the watermark: the pyramid and, underneath that, ‘ Purity for All’.( Akbar 2017, p. 61) Through the above quote, we can grasp at the semblance of the caste system that exists in India. The dominance of the caste system can be felt as each sector was divided on the basis of caste, and each person’s position in the society was held by his/her caste. There are mentions of different sectors belonging to different castes, such as- sectors belong to ‘ Guptas’, ‘ Kanpuri Brahmins’, ‘ Salsette Catholics’, ‘ Patels’ etc. As each of these cases had their own ‘caste insignias’ and ‘signatures’, a person’s ID would also include their caste. At the same time, there was also the ‘scavenger caste’, who live outside the walls as they were ‘impure’. The thought of ostracizing a group of people on the basis of their birth is in itself dystopian. Thus the phrase ‘Purity for all’ is a perfect example of situational irony. These fictional castes in the novel can also be interpreted as being categories or even sub-categories of the four Varnas ( Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra). The elites classes, such as the ‘Kanpuri Brahmins’ belong to the upper strata of the society as they are of the Brahmin caste, while the ‘ scavenger caste’ belongs to the lower strata of the society and have to live outside the ‘Skydome’ as they belong to the Shudra caste. This is also a reflection on the current caste issues in India. The Indian fixation with purity is not only from birth but also from morality. This can be seen in the novel in the way a woman's body is always connected with this sense of ‘purity, and how it must be protected. ‘When woman gives in to carnality’, Mr. Vijay continues, a choke in his voice once again, ‘ imagine if all women gave in. You know what will come? Utter confusion. Bedlam. We are a society that needs rules. Boundaries. The ancient lines are there for a reason. ( Akbar 2017, p.172) Here the words ‘give in’ is used when expressing women’s sexuality. This portrays women as having an innate desire for sexual intercourse, and that it is a desire that one must not give in too.  The terms ‘utter confusion’ and ‘Bedlam’, that are used to describe the effect of all women giving in to carnality, are also terms that could be used to describe the dystopian concurrent events. Thus the interpretation can be made that the entire dystopian society revolves around the purity of the female body. This also has the idea of ‘Indianness’ as in India, parents are overly protective of their daughters so that they remain ‘pure’. Thus, we can see identify how the tropes of precarity and purity are expressed in the dystopian novel ‘Leila’. One can also examine how some terms and instances in the novel are allegorical to the unpredictable and the unstable foundation on which India’s politics and society are embedded in. Another observation that can be made is how ‘purity’ is expressed in the novel through the caste system and through a female body. In conclusion, although the novel ‘Leila’ has its foundation in dystopian fiction, it can also be considered as speculative fiction. REFERENCES- Akbar, Prayaag. 2017. Leila. Simon & Schuster India: New Delhi    

Analysing the streotypes used in Chetan Bhagat’s One Night@ the Call Center

Chetan Bhagat is one of the best-known authors of India in English. His books have gained a lot of popularity over the years, but that is mostly in India. He cannot find much fame abroad. One of the reasons for this is because of the very common and general stereotypes he uses in his novels. The text we are going to analyze today has many of the aforementioned stereotypes. These stereotypes do not only limit themselves to India, but to America as well. In this paper, many of these stereotypes will be analyzed within the context of the plot, and then within the context of the contemporary world. Firstly, the name of the novel is in itself a stereotype. There is a worldwide generalization about Indians on how all of us, at one point or another, work in a call center. Although that may be true to some extent, the quotidian frustrations of the night shifts, along with the stingy self-caring boss, makes this novel quite stereotypical. One of the stereotypes that have been predominant in this book is those of the relationship between a mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law. In India, due to pop culture, and TV serials, it is shown numerous time of a joint family, with traditional backgrounds and mentality, living together in a big house, the same is shown over here, as Radhika, one of the female charecters in the story, is forced to live with her husband’s over critical parents.  Some of the other similar stereotypes that have been mentioned are that the daughter-in-law should always obey her husband’s parents. The same can be identified here as well- ‘Not at all. In fact, I like the cozy family feeling. They are only a little bit old-fashioned.’ Radhika said and smiled. I did not think the smile was genuine, but it was none of my business. ( Bhagat 2010, p. 58) Here we can identify some of the afore-mentioned streotypes. The suspicion behind the ‘genuine’ smile is one such instance. This could be a way of denoting the suppression that Radhika must have felt, as she is not allowed to say anything negative against her new parents. The same can be said for the ‘little old fashioned’. If we look at the semantic meaning behind it, we can feel her trying to surge out and tell her friends how she truly feels about her new mother. But she is not able to, due to the unwritten rules of the society. So instead she tries to drop hints about her parents. Thus we can say that the term ‘little’ was used by her in a sarcastic way, but she was not able to express it in the same way. Another instance of where Radhika was stereotyped was when we got to know that she was not allowed to wear the clothes she wanted to ear as her new parents would not allow her to do that- ‘ They don’t make me do anything, Esha. I am willing to follow their culture. All married women in their house do it’ Radhika said. (Bhagat 2010, p. 58) This conversation took place when Esha, who is another female character, found out that Radhika was supposed to dress in a particular way. As it is not visible in the above quote, but the word ‘make’ has been italicized while the rest of them have not. Thus in this way, we can get the feel of how Radhika is desperately trying to defend herself against the truth, implying that she makes her own wish and not her family. She then says that she is willing to follow their culture. Over here, the term ‘culture’ should not be understood in a way which means culture on the basis of region or country, but in fact, it should mean in terms of generation. As previously mentioned, her new parents are both old fashioned, and thus their mentality is often referred to by the public of having the’ old mentality ‘or ‘old culture’. We can also notice a subtly of forced conformity, in the way she is narrating her situation. When she says ‘all’ women, she is implying that all the women in the household dress a certain way. And as they do it, even she is compiled to do it. This once again puts our current society into question, where many people, especially families are forced to go against their own ways or beliefs as they need to conform with the society or they will get ostracized from the community. Thus we can say that Radhika’s household is allegorical to the Indian society. Another general stereotype that has been done by Bhagat is against models in general- ‘ Check it out. She is totally anorexic. I can bet on it’. Priyanka said, pointing to a pale-complexioned model on the dance floor. She wore a top without any sleeves or neck or collar ( Bhagat 2010, p. 97) The term ‘anorexic’ being used signifies this stereotype. Models are thought to be very beautiful, and according to the modern beauty standards, beauty can only come with a thin figure. Thus, many young girls and women tend not to eat much, so that they do not gain weight. Even if they do eat, many times they vomit it out. This is known as anorexia nervosa, which is an eating disorder. Thus Bhagat has quite practically labeled them as anorexic as he thinks that all models are the same. He also uses the term ‘pale-complexioned’. Here the word ‘pale’ can signify a lot. Many such models wear lots of make-up and are thus overpowered by them. This makes their skin quite pale when looking at it. Hence the term ‘pale-complexioned’ is used quite cleverly here. A major stereotype that is seen all over India is their obsession with arranged marriages. Indian parents tend to think that they know what is best for their children, including the person they choose to spend the rest of their lives with. This obsession is also best exemplified in the story through the lens of Priyanka, whose mother is hell bound on finding her a settled husband. Other stereotypes play in here when the man, who is chosen to be the groom, is said to be an NRI or a non-resident Indian. The stereotypes that most Indian girls who are looking to get married prefer an NRI man over a resident one is also quite common. There are also actual reports from Indian marriage sites such as from Shadi.com or Jeevansathi.com, who claim that a lot of their female members are looking for an NRI man. Although ChetanBhagat has used a lot of streotypes, he also made some positive moves such as applying a sort of feminist view towards the female charecters. Radhika, for example, found out that her husband was cheating on her. Instead of staying with him, which would be the result in most Indian cases, she decided to divorce him. The concept of divorce in India can be considered as a taboo. Thus a woman implementing a divorce can only be seen as encouraging and also as empowering. Similar things can be said for Priyanka as well. As previously mentioned, her mother wanted an NRI man for her and she was successful. But after finding out that the groom to be was lying to her, Priyanka turned down the marriage offer. She then got together with Shyam, her co-worker, an ex-boyfriend, who is a lot less successful than Ganesh, the NRI groom. Here we can see a certain determination from Priyanka where he doesn’t get influenced by her mother, which in itself is a big thing, as daughters are usually told to be extra careful and to always listen to their parents. Her insistence on not marrying Ganesh also shows us how she is not after material wealth, and that she is in charge of her own decisions. This is also an excellent example of the empowerment of women. Such representation of women in genre fiction can be considered a good thing, due to the targeted audience being belonging to the Indian middle-class Another very unique stereotype that has been taken by Bhagat is Indians over-reliance. Indians are known for being the country of many religions and thus they have many gods. Due to certain backwardness in our society, many people prefer the word of god over actual scientific proof. Thus the common struggle between science and God is also present here. Many times when a negative event or a disaster happens within a family as such, many people turn to god and insist that God will find a solution for them, instead of trying to have a rational mind. This same stereotype has been exaggerated here. The plot of the book can be said to follow a Deux ex machine, where a particular impossible or unsolvable problem is solved due to unforeseen circumstances. This plot is common amongst genre fiction books and thus it could be considered fitting if both the stereotype and the main structure of the plot were combined. In the novel, all 6 main characters of the novel are stuck in a qualis while it is hanging right above a ditch.  When all hope seems lost, Shyam receives a phone call (when no connectivity is available) from god himself. Not only does god help them get out of the tricky situation that they are currently in, but he also gives them valuable life advice which would help them make life-changing decisions that would, in turn, benefit them later in their lives. Thus this insistence of including god in a Deux ex machine plot, instead of any other thing, symbolizes the Indian nature. There are also many stereotypes that have been made against Americans in the novel. One such was – ‘ Americans are sick’. Vroom said as he pointed to a US politician who had spoken out in support of the war. ‘Look at him. He would nuke the whole world if he could have his way’ ( Bhagat 2010, p. 199) This is one of many quotes where Bhagat has taken a jibe at America in relation to their military policy. This ‘support’ of war is used to denote how the constant involvement of America in wars. They are also referring to the war as ‘the’ war, implying that even when America is at war with someone, only proving the previous statement. This is also in many ways a stereotype, with a strong element of truth. The involvement of the US in wars such as the Iraqi war, and the Cold war, in many ways proves that they always support the war. In one of his dialogues, Bhagat also uses the word ‘obsessed’ when talking about America and war. Another stereotype that has been a motif in this book towards Americans is the association of all Americans with being’ dumb’ or dim-witted. This is once again a very real generalization as even though it may not be true for all, America has been called out on many occasions for their lack of standards when concerning the school system and the syllabus that they use. As a concluding remark, we can say that Chetan Bhagat uses very real stereotypes in order to portray the harsh realities of modern society. These stereotypes, along with his colloquial language style, make it a very fun and relatable novel for a lot of the middle-class section of India. Although he has been called out numerous times for his conversational language style and his sometimes discriminatory plots, his inclusion of some strong, encouraged and empowered female characters certainly deserves him some praise, as they themselves are breaking the stereotypes and norms. Although that may be fine for an Indian audience, his representation of America as a whole is degrading. Thus we can say that the main aim of ChetanBhagat’s novels can be considered to be a commercial success and not to be considered into the discourse of literary fiction. BIBLIOGRAPHY- Bhagat, Chetan. 2010. One Night@ the Call Center. New Delhi: Rupa Publications    

Analyzing the elements of a realism present in ‘The Secret of the Nagas’

The ‘Shiva Trilogy’, written by Amish Tripathi, is a set of three novels depicting the rise of Shiva, from a normal tribal chieftain, to Shiva being the Neelkanth, the destroyer of evil. Due to the fact that most of the characters in the novels are embedded in Indian mythology, the genre of the set of books is categorized as mythology-inspired fiction. Although that may be the case, Tripathi has attempted to demythologize many key aspects of the myth in order to make it more realistic. In this essay, we will be exploring some of the instances where the author has attempted to relate the myth of Shiva in a realistic context, in relation to the ‘Secret of the Nagas’, which is the second installment of the Shiva Trilogy. The first instance in this essay where Tripathi has attempted to portray the myth in a realistic context is the representation of Sati’s and Shiva’s son Ganesh. In the book, Ganesh is shown to be a ‘Naga’, a race of people who are physically deformed. The description is given by Sati when she saw his face for the first time was-   His nose was abnormally long, stretching out like the trunk of an elephant. Two buck teeth struck out of the mouth, one of them broken. The legacy of an old injury, perhaps. The ears were floppy and large, shaking of their own accord. It almost seemed like the head of an elephant had been placed on the body of this unfortunate soul. ( Tripathi 2011, p. 119) From the above quotation, we can see how the term ‘elephant’ has been used to describe the face of Ganesh.  In the actual myth, Shiva cuts of the head of Ganesh after he is refused to by him to enter the room where his mother is taking a bath. After realizing his mistake, he places the head of a baby elephant in place of the already severed human head. Thus, Ganesh is always portrayed in Indian mythology as a god with an elephant head. Amish Tripathi has attempted to demythologize this myth by assessing the cause of this phenomenon as a physical deformity as compared to it being the result of a godly action, in order to make it more realistic. Thus the last sentence in the quotation is, in fact, a clever way of denoting this transition. Also, the history of the Nagas as being abandoned by their parents due to their physical deformities is in some way an allegorical representation of the current society, where many parents seemingly choose to abandon their babies who had developed a physical disability. One feature that is predominant throughout the book is the usage of colloquial language . What sets this book apart from other mythology-inspired books is some of the phrases that were used in the book could be regarded as anachronistic. For example, the phrase ‘Holy lake’ or ‘by the holy lake,’ is used throughout the novel. This phrase has been used by Shiva right before a thrilling encounter or event, such as- By the Holy Lake, I finally have him ( Tripathi 2011, p. 15) In the contemporary world, the word ‘holy’ is used as a prefix for mostly a curse word, which is commonly used by people, especially the youth. Shiva also uses phrases such as ‘bloody hell’. This could have been an attempt by Tripathi to make the book more appealing to the younger generations. Another instance where a relatively modern colloquial phrase has been used is when Kali addresses Sati- ‘Stop playing innocent, you daddy’s spoilt little girl!’ shrieked a strong feminine voice from behind ( Tripathi 2011, p.119) Here, the phrase in question is ‘daddy’s spoilt little girl’. The inclusion of the word ‘daddy’ in itself is quite perplexing. That is because that word is also relatively modern and is more importantly of western origin. And so, the inclusion of such a word definitely throws away the reader's perception of the book being about mythology and more related to contemporary society. Even though the inclusion of such phrases may invite some criticism, there are many instances where Tripathi has cleverly accommodated certain words, in order to describe an event or a dialogue better- ‘I asked you to do just one simple thing,’ hissed the Queen. ( Tripathi 2011, p. 37) The above quotation is spoken by the Naga queen, Kali. Naga in English translates to a snake. Snakes are also generally identified by their ‘hissing’ sound. Thus, Tripathi has cleverly used the word ‘hissed’ to associate this speech act with the Naga queen, or the Snake Queen. Another way in which this book was made to be more suited to a more realistic society was the inclusion of scientific terms and technology that was far ahead of their years- ‘It’s a very simple science really. The science of radio waves. ( Tripathi 2011, p. 61) ‘It’s a machine,’ said Shiva. ‘Divodas had told me about some accumulator machines, which store the energy of various animals over hours and then release them in seconds.’ ( Tripathi 2011, p. 87) Through the above quotations, it is visible that some scientific terms such as ‘radio waves’ clearly don’t belong to this period. It should also be noted that in medieval societies, especially in Indian societies, more emphasis was given on gods and thus science wasn't given much credibility. Also, the description is given by Shiva of ‘accumulator machines’, describes most of the machines in the modern world, which would not be available in the medieval or even the mythological world. Through the above instances, it is visible that Amish Tripathi, in his book, ‘The secret of the Nagas’, has chosen to demythologize certain myths in order for the book to be considered in a more realistic setting. He has also chosen to dehumanize certain characters so that they would no longer appear to be gods and thus would be more relatable to common people. REFERENCES- Amish, Tripathi. 2011. The Secret of the Nagas. Westland: New Delhi  

The Shiva Trilogy

The Shiva Trilogy, written by Amish Tripathi, is one of the best examples of ‘Mythology-inspired’ fiction in English from India. This genre is generally inspired by Indian epics such as The Mahabharata and The Ramayana, as well as from folk traditions all over India. According to Emma Dawson Varughese, Indian ‘Mythology-inspired’ fiction is characterized by four different approaches. The following are the second and the fourth approach given by her- 2nd approach- Narratives that are recognizable by the ‘original’ epic inspiration, but where plot, characterization, and story arc are developed anew by the author. Examples include Tripathi’s ‘Shiva Trilogy’ and his ‘ Ram Chandra’ series. (Dawson 2019, p.146) 4th approach- Narratives that take only a character or an aspect of the plot from the epics through which they considerably develop the story away from the ‘original’ epic inspiration, moving further into the realm of re-imagining the epic ( inspiration). These narratives usually employ contemporary subgenres such as detective/crime fiction or speculative fiction and devices such as the conspiratorial. Examples include the novels of Ashwin Sanghi, Shatrujeet Nath’s The Guardians of the  Halahala, and Doyle’s The Mahabharata Secret. ( Dawson 2019, p.146) Here we can see that she has categorized the ‘ Shiva Trilogy’ in the second approach.  The main reason behind this categorization probably being how the mythological character of Shiva is being portrayed in a different re-telling of the myth.  Although that may be a viable reason, we can see how ‘The Immortals of Meluha’, the first part of the trilogy, anchors many elements of contemporary genres. In this essay, the main argument we will be analyzing is why the ‘ The Immortals of Meluha’  should belong in the fourth approach rather than the second approach. This novel can be considered to have elements of Historical fiction. Instead of portraying mythological characters such as Shiva and Ram as gods, Amish Tripathi has instead humanized them, in order to fit them into a historical background.  Thus, at the very start of the novel, he provided us with a historical context- 1900 BC, Mansarovar Lake (At the foot of Mount Kailash, Tibet) ( Tripathi 2010, p. 1) Tripathi's also uses the abbreviation- B.C, throughout the novel, allowing us to formulate a specific time period of when these events might have happened. While introducing new places or kingdoms in the novel, he also specifies their location in reference to places that are known today. For example, right before introducing us to the kingdom of Meluha, he informs us of its geographical location - After marching continuously for four weeks, the caravan of invited immigrants crested the final mountain to reach the outskirts of Srinagar, the capital of the valley of Kashmir…..But nothing could have primed him for the sheer spectacle of what certainly was paradise. Meluha . The land of pure life!  ( Tripathi 2010, p.5) Another example of him historicizing the novel is- The convoy’s next stop was the famous city of Mohan Jo Daro or the Platform of Mohan ( Tripathi 2010, p.97) MohenJo- Daro was one of the first and the largest settlements of the ancient Indus Valley civilization which existed around 2500 BC. Thus we can say that he was using Mohenjo-Daro in an effort to periodize the locations and the characters in the novel as belonging to an ancient era. Tripathi himself, in the pretext of this novel, acknowledged the fact that he was in fact combining mythology with history- That is the premise of the Shiva Trilogy, which interprets the rich mythological heritage of ancient India, blending fiction with historical fact. ( Tripathi 2010) Another distinctive feature in the novel was how Meluhans were way ahead of their time. There are many references in the novel which suggest that even Shiva was amazed at the technological and medical superiority that the Meluhans possed as compared to the rest of the world. There are examples of such instances throughout the novel, such as when Shiva was asked to take a bath- The bathroom felt strangely constricted. He turned the magical device on the wall to increase the flow of water. He used the strange cake-like substance that the Meluhans said was a soap to rub the body clean. ( Tripathi 2010, p.11) Another example is of when Nandi, one of Shiva’s colleague, was drowning and to save his life, the Meluhan doctors performed CPR on him - The emergency staff then began a strange procedure. One of them started pressing Nandi’s chest in a quick rhythmic motion to the count of five. The moment he would stop, another emergency staff would cover Nandi’s lips with his own and breathe hard into his mouth. Then they would repeat the procedure all over again. Shiva did not understand what was going on but trusted both the knowledge as well as the commitment of the Meluhan medical personnel. ( Tripathi 2010, p.19) The above-mentioned examples are relatively modern inventions and should not be used to describe the technological and medical capabilities of ancient civilizations. Thus, these instances make us question whether the novel should be categorized as ‘ Mythology-inspired’ fiction or not, as there is no evidence of such methods being used in any of the epics. Another example of how Meluhans were ahead of their time is when Brahaspati, a scientist, says that- ‘I believe in science. It provides a solution and a rationale for everything. And if there is anything that appears like a miracle, the only explanation is that a scientific reason for it has not been discovered as yet.’( Tripathi 2010, p.67) The inclusion of such a character in a mythology inspired novel is perplexing.  The reason behind it being that using science or a rational hypothesis to explain a ‘miracle’ or a natural phenomenon was practically unseen at that time. The logic behind such a ‘miracle’ at that time would have probably been associated with anthropomorphic gods, as the shift from revelation to reason happened much later on.  That is why such characters are mostly seen in contemporary genres rather than ‘Mythology-inspired’ novels. One must also keep in mind the reception of the reader. The novel would only be considered as mythology by those who are familiar with Indian epics and traditions. To the non-Indian audience, who are not familiar with a mythological character such as Shiva, the novel can be perceived as fantasy fiction.  Amish Tripathi does try to provide us with direct translations of Hindi words, and attempts to put them in context for the benefit of the reader- The narrative structure attempts to culturally translate aspects of life in ancient Indian so that a reader’s understanding of the storyline is not compromised. He often includes translations of key terms and ideas through short paraphrasing or contextualization. ( Dawson 2019, p.150-151) Some examples of such translations are- Saying this, she bent down to touch Shiva’s feet in the traditional Indian form of showing respect. ( Tripathi 2010, p.15) Tripathi also took on to explain the theory of Karma, which is a very important theory in Indian philosophy, and how the people who were victims of this were called Vikarma- ‘Vikarma people, my Lord,’ said Nandi sighing deeply, ‘are people who have been punished in this birth for the sins of their previous birth. Hence they have to live this life out with dignity and tolerate their present sufferings with grace. This is the only way they can wipe their karma clean of the sins of their previous births. Vikarma men have their own order of penance and women have a different order.’( Tripathi 2010, p.45) This explanation of the theory of Karma was important as Sita, Shiva’s wife, was also a Vikarma. Thus Tripathi attempts to explain these cultural terms so that the reader can gain the mythological meaning behind it while the plot progresses, and not ponder while trying to understand it in its context. As a conclusion, it is clear that ‘The Immortals of Meluha’ is not only a ‘Mythology-inspired’ fiction novel, but is a culmination of Historical fiction, Fantasy fiction( depends upon reader reception), and also some elements of Thriller. Thus, keeping the model given by Emma Dawson Varughese in mind, ‘The Immortals of Meluha’, which is the first part of the Shiva Trilogy, should be categorized in the fourth approach instead of the second approach. REFERENCES- Tripathi, Amish. 2010. The Immortals of Meluha. Westland: New Delhi Varughese, Dawson. Emma. 2019. Indian Genre Fiction- Pasts and Future Histories. Routledge: New York