That's what xcess baggage India's first vampire novel is all about
That's what xcess baggage India's first vampire novel is all about
They say love is blind. But all said and done, would you fall in love with a 'handsome creep' who is out to kill you? Even if it is in human form, and looks like 'Jessica Simpson's ex-boyfriend'? And even if you are nutter enough to keep talking to a 'voice' inside your head. But in this saga of mush, titled Xcess Baggage, being billed as India's first vampire novel, this is exactly what happens. 
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So what's the story?
Xcess Baggage is the story of a loner, an Indian in the US, Meghna Chandra, who leads an almost obscure existence with no looks or money to write home about. She prefers watching horror flicks on Christmas eve rather than celebrating with friends (which she doesn't have anyway).
Meghna is one girl anyone can trample over, which perhaps explains to some extent why she hopelessly falls in love with the stranger (named Byron, old world style), who she first thinks is a mugger but later finds out as a vampire out to pursue her on a mission.
"She is fighting a lot of demons of her own. On the outside she tries to be tough but when Byron comes close, she feels incapacitated. Just because we are privy to her feelings we think she is madly in love with him," explains Varsha Dixit, the author. Hmmm ufffdpoint taken. But not very convincingly.
Quite wannabe
The language is wannabe at best. Throughout the book, the author tries to make Meghna sound cool, which does not fulfil the purpose. "I wanted Meghna to be little well defined. Everybody is gunning for her. Either she is getting sympathy or hate. I wanted people to know why she is not cracking up. If she thinks aloud every time she will look like an idiot," says the author. "I kept the musings so that people understand what she is going through. The conflicts inside her needed to be shown so that the reader sympathises with the character," she adds.
It's not a halting read though, and after a point (once you get used to the I-am-so-cool language), you actually get absorbed in the story.
Very spirited
To add to all the confusion that is going through the protagonist's head, the author has also added a spirit, Rusalka, which is the very reason why she goes through most turmoils. "I researched a lot about what kind of ghost to put inside Meghna. Rusalka is not known to most people. I read up about period books about ghosts and spirits," says Dixit. The vampire element was brought
in to add an element of
familiarity. Dixit has already started work on the third book (Xcess Baggage is her second. The first was Right Fit Wrong Shoe) and is working on a couple of manuscripts. Read it while you are on the flight, and if you can get through the wannabe language. A one time read at best.
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