400 Days

First, a disclosure. I am an unabashed Chetan Bhagat fan who started reading other Indian writers only after reading ‘Five Point Someone.’ My bookshelf has a corner adorned with all of CB’s fiction to date. While I liked all his books, none of his other works could work the magic of the ‘Five Point Someone’ for me. And the pivot from bromance and romance to thriller didn’t work for me as a reader of his last two books that, too, were based on the Keshav and Saurabh detective series. So, I was sceptical when I read on his social media handles last year that the then upcoming book ‘400 Days’ was his best ever. Now, after reading the book nine months after his release, I think the statement was not an ideal or aspirational boast. With 400 Days, he has beaten Five Point Someone. I picked up this book last Friday night, thinking I would finish it in two to three days. I ended up sleeping at three am on Saturday morning after closing the book’s last page. This page-turner had me entirely hooked with its plot, setting (Gurugram- the city I call home now) and characters. The story opens in an apartment in Gurugram’s posh society where Keshav Rajpurohit is staying with his parents and best friend Saurabh, preparing for a career his heart isn’t beating for. He gets introduced to Alia and, through her, gets to know the rest of the Arora family, who are more rich than happy. Alia seeks Keshav’s help to find her twelve-year-old elder daughter Siya, who was mysteriously kidnapped from her grandparents’ bungalow in another part of the city when the entire family was living in the same house. After a couple of months, the police had given it up as a cold case, and everyone had given up hope of Siya being alive. Everyone but Alia. Who is the kidnapper? Why did he kidnap Siya? How did the child disappear so easily from her grandparents’ home? Is someone from the family involved, or was the kidnapping the handiwork of a person behind the fake Instagram account following Siya’s Insta profile? Will she be found and found alive? These questions form the essence of the story. Being a CB novel, the mystery in the plot goes hand-in-hand with the romantic undertone as the eligible bachelor Keshav falls in love with his much married but not so happily married Alia. What I liked most about the book is the contemporary touch that the author effortlessly fuses with the traditional elements. Keshav is a millennial whose parents come to stay with him, Alia convinces her husband to move away from the joint family and take a separate apartment nearby and yet visits her in-laws every week, Siya has an Instagram account that later plays a significant part in the story, the description of the glass buildings and the bursting at the seams infrastructure of Gurugram. Much thought and effort have gone into making the story relatable to the youth. At one stage, it felt like I was reading a real-life story instead of fiction -- and there lies the success of the author. What didn’t work for me somewhat was the character of Alia. The mother’s pain and love for her missing child felt real, and so did the angst of a wife hurt by the indiscretions of her unfeeling husband. However, her romantic feelings for Keshav came across as forced; it was almost as if she made Keshav fall in love with him and then turned a different leaf once her purpose was achieved. Some of these inconsistencies were present in her husband Manish’s character as well. Even till the end, I could not determine who Alia was as a lover and wife, an unintended mystery by the author that leaves a reader frustrated. The book is written in the trademark CB style, where instead of similes, metaphors, poetic proses and exquisite descriptions, the author uses everyday conversational language to convey the emotions. It has worked and worked really well in 400 Days. The highlight of 400 Days is undoubtedly its suspense. The truth surprised me, despite the author leaving clever clues throughout the book. And yet, it is a romantic line from the book that has stayed with me even four days after reading it: \\ Sometimes love means letting go, for the happiness of others. Simple yet profound. Chetan Bhagat has packed a punch with 400 Days. The book scores a 4.7/5 for me. If you are a Chetan Bhagat fan, do read this book. If you aren’t a Chetan Bhagat fan, definitely read this book.

Not bad, however if you want a deep mysterious thriller story do read the girl in room 105 of chetan bhagat. This book i didn't found too much attractive than that one I have mentioned because the mystery was opened up quite earlier than it should be and also the story seemed a bit like Indian serials. So my overall experience is not that satisfactory

If you are looking for a casual easy read then totally buy this one.

The third book in Chetan Bhagat's detective series featuring Keshav and Saurabh delivers an engaging mix of crime, romance, humor, and suspense. The story starts off smoothly, with a slight dip in pace during the middle, but builds up to a completely unexpected and gripping ending that leaves a lasting impression. The book arrived in perfect condition, making the reading experience even better. A must-read for fans of crime thrillers and mystery fiction

it was so addictive that I completed it in one day only...I slept at 4 am...but the ending was a bit disturbing..and a bit soft hearted person

Decent story. However, the plot is thin and there is a lot of time pass and beating around the bush. Indian police is certainly not as naive as has been portrayed here in terms of technological knowledge. And why the hell does the protagonist always get into an affair with the lady and end up failing, ultimately. One gets a feeling that the entire story until the last few chapters are actually rubbish with almost nothing of it contributing to what actually happened. The ideas by which the culprits are nabbed are actually extremely naive and rather points towards a Bollywood kind of storytelling. And as always, the ending is extremely rushed and leaves nothing on the character development aspect at all. Just too many flaws. The audience Chetan caters too are far too generous by giving him 4+ stars for stories that are purely average. This is mainly because a majority of his reader base have never read books or classics from other authors. In other words, they don't seem to be hardened readers. The audience is evolving, Mr. Bhagat and you would do well to take that into consideration.

Received in good paperback condition. Not as interesting as The girl in room 105 & one arranged Murder. All elements in it, romance, drama, suspense. A little tedious in the middle, but fast-paced.

Amazing book.. became fan of chetan bhagath 👍👍👍