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Subrat SaurabhAuthor of Kuch Woh Pal
John Smith, a twenty-seven-year-old backpacker from Australia,is on a soul-searching journey in Mumbai, the enigmatic city where he was born to Australian ex-pats who returned to Sydney when he was a toddler.
Raju, a twelve-year-old runaway boy from Bihar, lives on the streets of Mumbai in a masked identity, doing odd jobs to survive. At night, he assists Hamid Bhai, a taxi driver at the International Airport, bringing customers. During the day, he works as a bellboy at Happy Hotel, nestled in an Andheri suburb.
Raju spots John at the airport terminal arrival zone and coaxes him to stay at Happy Hotel and ride with Hamid Bhai to get to his hotel. While on the way, Raju impresses John and convinces the Aussie to hire him as his guide in Mumbai for a fee. The deal is struck, and Raju exposes John to some of the best-kept secrets of Mumbai. The duo bond well, and John takes a liking to Raju’s charm, wit and love of life amidst his everyday struggles.
During one of their outings, Raju suddenly goes missing. Curious and concerned, John searches for Raju, armed with only a fragmentary and disconnected footprint in the mysterious world of street children and their haunts.
Will he find Raju? Will he find his true self? Will he find love?
Venkat Rajan
Venkat Rajan is a seasoned management consultant in energy, engineering, and information technology, with an impressive record of holding senior management roles across Asia and Europe. With a wealth of experience from living and conducting business in many countries, Venkat brings a unique perspective to fiction writing. His passion lies in delving into the intricacies of human nature and understanding how conditioning, social and cultural factors define our responses. The Pigeon Thief marks Venkat Rajan's second foray into the world of novels. It will engage and evoke readers’ emotions as they travel with three different people from different strata of life, each with their own desires and aims.
