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Akela and the Blue
Monster
The theme revolves around Akela, a boy from Delhi Public School. He comes in contact with Rishi Baba from Rishikesh who is a pastmaster in magic and celestial control. Through his spiritual powers he comes to know that the Yamraj who rules the Blue Way Galaxy is bent upon destroying the Milky Way Galaxy and impure the Ganges just before the Maha Kumbh in Hardwar. For this, Satan deputes his son Yamakal. Rishi Baba trains Akela (his son in the previous birth) and the latter completes the mission assigned to him. With superb dexterity, the novelist combines mythology with modern science and weaves a very convincing as well as a fascinating fable that keeps the reader’s interest alive till the end and arouses curiosity at every step to know what next is in store. Equally worth mentioning is the narrative power of the author who is at his descriptive best while describing the two heads of Yamakal, the son of Yamraj, "Small when it comes out, no bigger than King Georges’ head of the old rupee coin.`85" Equally graphic is the description of Yamkal’s efforts to come out of the trolley. The ease with which mythology and recent history are woven together displays Nahal’s masterly skill in handling the juxtaposed phases of life. For example, Akela’s curiosity to know about dark-skinned persons from Bastar attending to patients in a hospital is dealt with very artistically. "Where was Bastar?" "A district in Chattisgarh." "Where was Chattisgarh?" "A new state, next to Orissa?" Another beauty of the piece in hand is that there is no loose string in the web. Even the episode of a small girl washing clothes in the river is well connected with the main story. Written in a lucid yet simple prose, words flow unhindered, adding to its appeal. There is a rich sprinkling of humour, too. The marriage scene of Akela’s cousin sends us into giggles. He forces the bandmen wearing greasy uniform run away. The bridegroom riding a family Ford car as mare and the ladies singing songs before it and weaving garlands around its neck is quite amusing. Every child will love to have this novel on his shelf and read it not once but repeatedly. Undoubtedly, it is a lovable addition to children’s literature. It is a fine example of the writer’s masterly narrative skill that will impart the piece in hand a special niche in this genre.
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