Another Tale of Two Cities - In the Dragon's Lair has been published!

'An other tale of two cities - In the Dragon's Lair' -  has been published...

as an eBook and as a Paperback on Amazon. 

Both versions of the title are available on the following links; 

 India - https://www.amazon.in/dp/B082BZQLXZ 

 USA -  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082BZQLXZ 

 UK -    https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B082BZQLXZ 

Canada - https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B082BZQLXZ 

Australia - https://www.amazon.au/dp/B082BZQLXZ 

Japan - https://www.amazon.jp/dp/B082BZQLXZ 

France - https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B082BZQLXZ

Synopsis 

Two talented Table Tennis players, Kula and Jay set out on their journey from a small town near Chennai, India to win Gold at the 'Games' at Shanghai, China, against a formidable Chinese team, a feat that would be analogous to taming the 'Dragon in its Lair'. Along their journey they discover true and eternal friendship with a Chinese girl, Li Ling, a member of the Chinese TT team, who joins their magical expedition, punctuated by triangular love, sacrifice, humour and enormous will to win. Li Ling in turn discovers a family to call her own in far-away India.

In their quest for stardom, it looks like sheer talent and self-belief isn’t enough, as the trio are subverted constantly by a bitter loser, Deng, who has been variously described as vicious, vindictive and venemous. When Jay’s winning ways was interrupted by a scheming Deng and his coterie, she reacts at the podium by laying her Bronze medal as a wreathe at the feet of her opponent, who had won against her, assisted only by brazenly biased umpiring.

Kula uncovers a conspiracy hatched by the Chinese TT team Managers in nexus with two rogue Indian team managers to deny Jay her victory and in a moment of madness assaults the rogue officials. The injustice is swift – Kula and Jay are thrown out of the team and are banned for 3 years; a lifetime dream and mission truncated… Li too is incarcerated by the Chinese Federation and loses her place in the team as well, for being friendly with the Indians.

Enter Shastry - a special emissary of the PM of India, who negotiates with his counterpart Lt. Gen Ping. Does he help reinstate the three friends in time for the next Games, to be held two years later and do the trio have their moments of glory?

Little did Kula realize that by his single, individual act of foolishness, he would stand accused of being an Indian agent and of stealing Chinese National secrets! His indiscretion kicks off a diplomatic spat between his country and a 'China in denial'. Shastry pressures his counterpart to protect Kula from an impending arrest, even as politics escalates to a frenzied pitch. Thrown into the vortex of Chinese domestic political conflict, Kula and his Chinese girlfriend, Li are on the run to escape charges of sedition and sure gallows for both. While, the diplomats work on a diplomatic solution to save Kula, the a tightening police dragnet pushes the 'fugitives' into the Shanghai suburb with their nemesis chasing them gun in hand; a shoot-out ensues…

Do the trio survive the 'waves of attack' of the persistent Deng?

‘Meet the dragon’, they did… but, beat the dragon, did they? Be there ‘to watch from the front row’, each of their fights at the Table for possible Gold at the 'Games' at Shanghai!

Someone had commented earlier, ‘Kula’s love will not get consummated’! Does the prophecy (or was it a curse!) come true?

And who wins Kula eventually? Jay or Li? And how?

Find your answers in ‘An Other Tale of Two Cities – In The Dragon’s Lair’!!!

'An Other Tale of Two Cities - In the Dragon's Lair,' is an epic saga - an intense Romance-Action-Adventure - that explores the sporting, familial, cultural and political ethos of two modern nations, India and China, jostling for space in the 21st Century, as much as it exposes the contrasts and the rivalry between them and their strong personalities. A Literary Story of Love, told eloquently, the passionate ‘Tale’ offers several heart-rending and mind-whelming moments as also takes the reader through thrilling roller-coaster rides between Chennai in India and Shanghai in China.

As the author I have taken an onerous responsibility of having to rise up to the original 'A Tale of Two Cities' by the legendary Charles Dickens. Both are tales of triangular love and of supreme sacrifice, intertwining the lives, loves and times of the paired cities during the respective periods. The similarities end there. Everything else about 'An Other Tale' is refreshingly, richly and excitingly different!!!

Which genre - An Other Tale of Two Cities?

You may find that it is difficult for one to place 'An Other Tale of Two Cities' in any one single genre. It actually spans across genres; Love (Triangular Love), Sports (Table Tennis), Young Adult Achievers, Action and Adventure, Politics (Domestic, International and Diplomacy), Culture and Tradition (compare and contrast Indian and Chinese Culture and Modernization) and of course Science, as there is as much science as in a science fiction, but made simple for everyone to follow. The most important aspect of the book is that it balances all the affairs very clearly and without confusion. 

While there is enough action, adventure and thrill to keep the reader on a roller coaster ride, the novel is also compelling for it contrasts the characters and cultures; friendship and families; personalities and politics - across two modern rivals that are great civilizations themselves. There is something for every reader and each one's expectations would be more than fulfilled through out the book. At the same time, there is excitement and fun at every phase of the book that the reader can look forward to.

Of course, at the end of the reading, the reader will find Love and Sacrifice and family life in India to stand out over the rest of the story lines. The reader will find the characters and the drama etched in their mind for a long time. The mature conversations between the two close friends Joy and Li'll'y and how they resolve their love for the same man (Kool); the conversations at the Bristo Bar at Shanghai between Kool and Li'll'y where Li'll'y goads Kool and Joy not to give up and to participate in the next 'Games'; the diplomatic stand-off and resolutions of issues between Shastry and Lt. Gen Ping; all of them would enrich the minds of the readers word by word. If one thought that the lack of focus on one single genre or two is a negative, it could be the most positive aspect of 'An Other Tale of Two Cities' and could be the ultimate reason for it's success.

If one who reviews the book wondered what influenced my book, here's a ready list;

!)   A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

!)   The Old Man and The Sea - Earnest Hemingway

!)   Gone with the Wind - MArgaret Mitchel

!)   To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

!)   Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier

!)   Godfather - Mario Puzo

!)   Airport - Arthur Hailey

!)   A Stone for Danny Fisher - Harold Robbins

!)   The Bachelor of Arts - R. K. Narayan

!)   Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie

!)   Possession - AS Byatt

!)   The DaVinci Code - Dan Brown

!)   The Good Earth - Pearl S Buck

!)   The Mahabharata - An Indian Epic

!)   Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

... and many more...

I am not comparing 'An Other Tale of Two Cities' with any of these greats; it's a very different novel with totally different characters and different settings, written in a different style. But I can sense that that it will appeal to the readers of the above books. Let us say that if you thought that most of these books could be brought under a common genre 'Literature', then 'An Other Tale of Two Cities could be bracketed in that section of the library, especially for the rich characterizations, the thought provoking conversations and the positive winning story lines, telling imagination and flowing narrations, through out. 

Excerpt #7 form the Chapter 17 - Detention

An Other Tale of Two Cities - A Novel by Ravi Krish

An Excerpt # 6 form the

Chapter 17

Detention

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She woke up at the hospital, from under heavy sedation. Her head was aching as if it was hit by stone. It took a while to make sense of where she was and why. She had faced incredible questions accusing her very character. China has been so dear to her. She would never trade her country for anything. This is the price one could pay for something as simple as friendship. This is China, her own country, very dear to her heart. She had no complaints. These sorts of conspiracies happened in China all day, yesterday; they are happening somewhere today. They would happen for sure, tomorrow. They just happen everyday. She has heard of several such stories. But when it happens to you, it is as incomprehensible as it is terrible.

Next she reflected on her meeting with Dan and Deng. What was the purpose of this conspiracy all about? So was she and her friends asked to carry the cross and reduce Deng’s agony? And even for Meiling’s poor show? Oh my God. What’s happening? Is this Dan’s response to the challenge from the Indian duo? Then God save TT in China! Was the all powerful Deng arm twisting Dan to act against Li’ll’y, to have his sweet revenge on the talented Indians? Would Deng also unleash strong retribution against the Indian duo, because he could not reconcile to his defeat? She hoped not. Let Deng’s bitterness cool off by harassing her. Deng was the most respected player in Chinese TT team having held the Number 1 ranking for almost four years, undisputed. Now at a slightly older age, he was fighting hard to keep his Number 2 position. He would have probably accepted his defeat gracefully, if he had lost to someone within world rank ten, but to lose an unseeded, ‘lowly’ Indian had hurt his pride badly and he was retaliating, trying not only to find scapegoats, but to destroy them in full public glare.

She thought about the selfie that Dan had showed her. Some one with a vulgar mind had stolen her selfie of a simple, friendly and jestful incident; no, not even an incident, it was gesture, and concocted a very crass story. It has to be an equally vulgar mind that had chosen to use the picture against her. She did not want to guess who it was. It was so obvious to her. Did the Chinese TT team have to stoop so low to keep their dominance in TT. Even if it was the only way to, should they actually do what they did? Or was it all due the personal ego of one person that precipitated all the trouble. It didn’t make any sense. She was not only made the scapegoat, but also made a juicy, suckling, roasted, scape’goat’ for the Chinese team to fine dine on. Why she? She did not consciously offend any one. She had endeavoured to be the friendliest creature on earth and the most pleasant. She believed that she had no enemies, ever in her life; that is till two days back. This conspiracy shocked her most. She believed that her fate was sealed for life. Nothing but a miracle can save her now.

Next she remembered Kool and Joy. Had they been incarcerated too? She shuddered to think of this possibility. But with vengeance written all over on Deng’s actions, nothing was impossible. He had a photograph that sealed their fate, the fate of all three of them. What would Kool and Joy say when or if they see the photograph? Would they not feel that I had helped assassinate their character and life as well? Would they believe her when she explained to them some day that it was a prank that went horribly wrong? Oh my, I had done the most damage to my dearest friends, acting out of jest. Would not they say that I was part of the conspiracy too? She shuddered every time she thought of the picture and cried, ‘I want to die’.....
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..... Indian sport has always struggled to gain a few medals in international sports, while China has zoomed to Number 1 position in just a few decades. Table Tennis; Chinese domination of the game has been complete and TT has been identified with the Chinese nation than any other sport. To be challenged in this domain by the Indians who have never had a single player in the top 50 ranks and to beat world number 2 at the prestigious Games to cap on other successes, was an affront to the Chinese nation.

How could they achieve this? They sought for answers that satisfied them rather than look for real answers. They sought answers in anger, not in reason and hence they found answers like; Black magic, sleeping with the enemy etc. that was consistent with their current dark, clouded moods.....
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.....Surely, Deng, of all, should have realized that he lost to very competent, superior and worthy rival. Was he covering his loss of face at Li’ll’y’s expense? What are the costs to Li’ll’y? ‘Oh My! My TT career has come to an abrupt and humiliating end’! She saw a bleak future for herself. There was little she could do against the tide that was gathering momentum against her and she will be swept into a sea of misery, without any help; not even a good word from her friends and family. Any one who loved her would grieve for her in silence; else they could also meet similar fates. But there could be more punishments on top of this. She trembled at the possibility of being jailed forever as a traitor. She would want to die rather than carry such a tag. But they wouldn’t let her die. She would not think about it now. She will be very careful and explain herself. She had not done any mistake and believed that her conscience and integrity will redeem her at some point in time... 

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Happy Reading :-) Merry interactions :-) 

Ravi Krish

Author

Excerpt #6 form the Chapter 14 - The Date with Deng

An Other Tale of Two Cities - A Novel by Ravi Krish

An Excerpt # 6 form the

Chapter 14

The Date with Deng

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Kula had booked a berth for a Quarter final show down against Deng. He had been rattled by the Meiling - Joy episodes very much though he didn’t display his anger to his young lady friends. He had understood from some indirect observations of Li’ll’y that Deng could have been behind the problems for Joy and him, right from the beginning, including the ‘hand-gun-shot’ scare that Joy was subjected to. He believed that Deng had instigated some of his team mates loyal to him, the Deng’s Gang, to rattle the Indian talent and snuff them out, outside the court. Deng was also determined to break their run on court, using any means and used Dan too in his ploys. Hence Kula was looking forward to this match to settle scores. Kula, normally a cool self, never had been as bitter as on that day. It was not just rivalry any more, but chivalry as Deng had offended Jay not just once, but twice. He wanted to beat Deng in the Quarter Finals with vengeance and beat him badly too. This was the first time that Kula had ever got into a match angry with the opponent and with a mind full of vengeance. It showed in his game.

Kula was trailing and trailing badly in the first game 2-8. Nothing was working for him. He was hitting his shots all over, missing the table. He was over reacting to each shot and making unforced errors. The anger and the vengeance in his mind were working adversely on him.  Kula had somehow forgetten that raw anger doesn’t help you overwhelm a challenge, while he should have been channelizing his anger and raising up to the challenge that Deng was. Deng was no ordinary challenge and even Kula at his best would have had to struggle big against him. But in his anger, Kula had exposed a fair amount of the chinks in his armour and was paying the penalty. By the time Kula realized that his anger was actually counter productive, the first game was over 11-5 in Deng’s favour and that he was trailing the second game at 1-6. That he was almost half way on the path to defeat.

Kula needed time to compose himself and reorient his energies. He can’t afford to let Deng take any further lead. It would be disastrous. Kula knew that he had to act quickly and tactically, or else this game and the match would slip off his hands. He focused hard on the ball. That was always his strongest points. He knew that during the last two games that he trailed Deng, his concentration had gone awry. He hadn’t been sighting the ball as much.

Anger is such an enemy; worse than the actual enemy; the object of the anger itself. He needed to first flush out his anger. Unfortunately, he was forbidden by the Games Appeals Jury from using yoga and meditation during the game. Meditation was his preferred mode of cooling his mind. He had to do something and quick.....

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Happy Reading :-) Merry interactions :-)

Ravi Krish

      Author 

The Excerpt #5 for Discussion: from 'The 'Slow' Command'

"I decided to reach out to all friends, readers and guests and seed some thoughts on 'An Other Tale of Two Cities'. this is the excerpt #5 from the book" 

from 

Chapter 11: The 'Slow' Command

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The friendlies not only exposed the weaknesses of the Chinese B team but also brought to light the ascendancy of the challengers from India. That Meiling barely scraped past the Indian in a wholly unconvincing manner aided only by a dubious complaint and an equally or more dubious refereeing decision, added neither to the Chinese prestige nor its confidence. Unfortunately every one who was relevant to the match's result, seemed to have been overwhelmed by the weight of expectations on the Chinese team and had chosen to play along with Meiling and had supported her claim.

        Dan thought about Meiling’s claim all evening and yet could not concur with her that Kula and Jay were practicing sorcery and he scorned at the idea that they controlled her mind, through something like black magic. He could proudly stand being profiled as xenophobic as he had been all his life and career. But supporting Meiling’s claim would brand him as 'irrational' chauvinist, something he could not take. He was not comfortable with this bizarre allegation that did not bring repute either to the Chinese Team, Games or the Chinese hosts. He had grilled Meilling sufficiently to conclude that she had no basis for the ‘sorcery’ allegation, except that she had been distracted by the red dot on Jay’s forehead; that she had been disturbed by Jay’s meditation, closing her eyes between points and a deep cross legged meditation before a few of the games of the match, chanting ‘mantras’. Dan noted that while these acts could distract and irritate an opponent player slightly, they may not be illegal. It would be difficult even to prove that they disturbed the mind of the opponent and would be even more far fetched to claim that one player tried to gain control of the mind of the opponent by these acts.
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Next, he went about intently studying the strength and weaknesses of the Indian team from the videos of the friendlies to devise appropriate strategies and tactics. As the China-India friendly was a planned event, Dan had ordered recording the friendly from every angle and every perspective. He could capture not only the speed, trajectory and angle of the ball against the position of each player, but also the spin, its axis, the speed of the swirl and the wobble, using powerful HD cameras.

Dan had studied the video of the match carefully for weaknesses and strengths and was planning his tactics and strategies, including assigning players who would play against Kula and Jay during the Games from among his team. He was confident that he had found answers for every move of the Indians and had clearly laid out an excellent strategy. But one particular exchange between Meiling and Joy bothered him. He viewed this exchange from every perspective and he still could not comprehend what happened.

That pertained to the frenzied exchange of the ball back and forth between Meiling and Jay, for the point that Jay scored just before she had made that sorcery allegation. Meiling at one moment acrobatically digs out from close to the ground, a well placed return from Jay and expertly sends it crashing towards Jay’s side ‘like a bullet’. Dan let a gasp of relief and appreciation for her and noticed that the crowd had gasped and been relieved too. The ball sped exactly like a bullet, till it flies near the net, still on Meiling’s side of the table. Then the unbelievable happened. Kula jumps up from his seat and shouts a command, as if to the ball ‘SLOW’, with a wave of his arm and the ball seemed to actually slow to his command. Dan immediately thought of Meiling’s sorcery allegation and then immediately followed up thinking it was irrational and plain stupid of him. His ‘Party’ trained mind could not reconcile to this bizarre claim. He still could not get himself reverse his own stand on Meiling’s weird claim.

It did look like Kula had commanded the ball to slow and it did. It was true that Jay, who did not anticipate the beautiful return from Meiling, was a shade late in responding to the speeding ball. But as the ball slowed and as she had a coincidental alert from Kula, she had not only the benefit of the slower ball but also had an alert just in time for her to adjust her footwork and smash it on Meiling’s side to win the point. 

But was this evidence in support of Meiling and her claim that looked absurd at first? Two events happened almost at the same instant. ....

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Nothing in his long coaching career had he watched anything that baffled him as much. In a way, it did look like Kula had commanded the ball to slow and it did. But in another way, it looked like Kula’s waving and shouting was just coincidental. He was definitely looking at the ball, but could have been shouting to alert Jay, Dan felt. 

Meiling, who loses the point in desperation, seeks the referee’s intervention against the ‘dot’, Jay’s bindi, and invokes a sorcery claim. So Jay looked as if she had the benefit of the slower ball and knew about it in time to position herself well and the subsequent winning smash. Dan knew that he had enough evidence to build a case against the Indian team, in support of Meiling’s sorcery claim....

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Happy Reading :-) Merry interactions :-)

Ravi Krish

      Author

The Excerpt #4 for Discussion: from Chapter 4: 'The Fragrance called Li Ling'

"I decided to reach out to all friends, readers and guests and seed some thoughts on 'An Other Tale of Two Cities'. This is the excerpt #4 from the book" 

from

Chapter 4 : The Fragrance called Li Ling

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.....Li came back to take them out for Dinner, in the evening. Kool was suddenly uncomfortable. Should he ask her now or not yet? He ventured at last, ‘What did you say is your name, come again. I must apologize, I am poor with names’, Kool asked. ‘Especially with girl’s names’! interrupted Joy merrily, remembering that he had taken nearly a week to be able to recall her name without being prompted. ‘Li Ling’, answered Li, extending her hand as if by habit, as she introduced herself the second time. Kool accepted her hand and her second introduction. ‘Li Ling is the fragrance of jasmine, expressed in words’, she volunteered in explanation. When he asked her coarsely and casually with a heavy accent, ‘Oh, Li’ll’y means, ‘fragrance of jasmine’? she looked shocked at Kool as though he had outraged her name! She repeated rather sternly like a school teacher, ‘No; much more than just a meaning. Li Ling is the feel of jasmine. When you hear ‘Li Ling’, you would be able to smell jasmine’. Kool understood the importance of uttering ‘Li Ling’, as he closed his eyes in meditation and said hoarsely, ‘Li’ll’y’ and simultaneously taking a deep breathe and imagined fragrance of jasmine. ‘It is tough, but anything for you’, he conceded with a grin at which Joy giggled and Li frowned, ‘Its Li Ling, not Li’ll’y’. Li mimicked his heavily accented ‘Li’ll’y’ with a huge stress on the ‘ll’. She was amused, though claimed in protest, ‘Li’ll’y sounds like a strong odour when you broke and splashed out a bottle of jasmine perfume. It’s too strong’. ‘Li Ling’ she repeated as softly and as gently as a feather that floats down in the air. Kool, who wasn’t paying attention to the demonstration of her name, continued to hold her hands as he said, ‘Li’ll’y like my Li’ll’y teacher at school’, remembering his teacher, Ms. Lalitha, better known in his school as Li’ll’y teacher.....

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.....Joy saw that they were holding their hands for too long, quite comfortable with each other. Fuming within her, she hastily stuck her hands at Li’ll’y. ‘Jay, you Si’ll’y Li’ll’y’, she shrieked, forcibly grabbing her hands from Kool’s and shaking them impatiently. Contented that she had broken their 'hand-holding ceremony’ she laughed heartily at her own concocted rhyme and repeated ‘Si’ll’y Li’ll’y’. Kool read some thing else from Joy’s ‘grab Li’lly’s hand’ urgency. He, who had not been sure of Joy’s feelings for him, now didn’t have any more doubts. He had heard of ‘love at first sight’, but he was experiencing first hand, ‘Joy’s Love at first sign of rivalry’.

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Happy Reading :-) Merry interactions :-)

Ravi Krish

      Author

The Excerpt #3 for Discussion: from 'The Fragrance called Li Ling'

"I decided to reach out to all friends, readers and guests and seed some thoughts on 'An Other Tale of Two Cities'. This is the excerpt #3 from the book" 

from

Chapter 4 : The Fragrance called Li Ling

The next day, was not their lucky day. They bumped into a selfish crowd of players from other nations, who took over the entire practice tables at the Games Village. Kool and Joy were completely spaced out and had nowhere to practice. A few hours of practice for the competitors is like an Oasis for a desert traveler. Any amount of practice would not be enough. But what Kool and Joy got on that day, was just got to see a mirage of tables, they couldn’t play on and they had to move from table to table watching others possess and practice. Kool and Joy wanted practice badly and they moved to the stadium, where they had met Li the previous day. 

The Stadium was overcrowded as well with the local host teams. They approached a group of a particularly merry crowd of Chinese players, mostly boys and a few girls, who were poking fun at each other, playing and practicing. Encouraged by the friendly reception they got from Li the previous day, Kool, expected similar warmth and showed his teeth, beaming as he held out his hand to introduce himself, ‘Kool’, he said to the nearest player. The Chinese player responded with an ugly frown and stuck his middle finger towards Kool and shook his hips in a vulgar gesture. Kool was shocked and stepped back, instinctively, to shield Joy from the view. Thankfully, Joy was too innocent to understand the gesture, though she knew it to be a rude one and was offended nevertheless. As Kool tugged Joy by her arm and tried to walk away from the table, seething in anger and from humiliation, Joy obediently trotted behind him, unable to comprehend, if Kool made any mistake of etiquette, while trying to introduce himself. The whole company jeered at them in a very disgusting manner.

One of them, menacingly stepped in her way, stretching his palms towards her and folding his fingers, with his thumb struck up as though it was a gun. He coolly placed his ‘gun’ point blank on Joy’s ‘bindi’ decorated forehead as if her ‘bindi’, the dot, was the target, and crackled a thunderous blast, from the depth of his gut, louder and sharper than a gunshot. Then there was absolute silence… and the entire crowd exploded in laughter with him. This was the most terrible laughter Joy had ever heard. Joy believed for a moment that she had been shot, felt stoned unable to move her leaden feet, was grateful that Kool was dragging her away by her arm, while she was still trembling. The Chinese pulled his fingers from her forehead and blew the imaginary smoke from his pointed fingers; cowboy style and shouted obscenities along with a warning, ‘No more dots on your forehead, lady. My gun is itching to find its target. Next time it wouldn’t be bare fingers’. 

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Happy Reading :-) Merry interactions :-)

Ravi Krish

      Author