Blackbowl by Pratik Shah

Sachiel, a yesteryear’s indie musician, now runs a bistro and leads a quiet life with his adopted twins – until his old agent gets in touch for the request of one last performance; a final act for a former close client who is now opening a jazz club by the coastline in Bandra, Mumbai.

As Sachiel accepts the request, circles of circumstances that cut across time and space begin, drawing in him and all those around him; from the present as well as the past. An anomaly in the strands of fates becomes bound to stir the fabric of existence and consequence. In pre-empted response, an occult and clandestine cult that is above the laws of natural order begins orchestrating a ritual of balance that is more violent than anything it has done in centuries.

A scimitar that can whisper its purpose, an arthouse film with a secret message, and dreams that are someone else’s memories shape the course of events, as a nightjar flies across the night sky and feasts on insects, observing the saga unfold.

The author: Pratik Shah