When should a child be considered as grown-up ?. Review on Office Mein Laash - Surendra Mohan Pathak

Regarding the fostering of the offspring, our Shaastras say - Laalyet Panchavarshaani, Dashvarshaani Taadyet, Praapte Tu Shodashe Varshe Putram Mitravadaacharet (foster your child with love and affection only till he attains the age of five years, treat him strictly and under discipline till he attains the age of ten years; and when he attains the age of sixteen years, start treating him as your friend). A great teaching of our ancient Vedic life-style indeed. It can be and should be followed by the parents today also. Hindi novelist, Surendra Mohan Pathak used the last part of this Shloka (treating him as friend upon his attaining the age of sixteen years) as the theme of his novel - Office Mein Laash (corpse in the office).

The title of the novel is as such because the story belongs to the murder of a private detective - Deena Naath in his office. Mr. Pathak's journalist hero - Sunil is approached by Deena Naath just prior to his murder, requesting him to develop a still photo camera film and prepare prints for him. On one hand, Deena Naath is murdered in his office, on the other, Sunil's junior journalist - Arjun is attacked in the dark room of the newspaper - Blast where he was busy in the developing and printing job assigned to him by Sunil. Quite naturally, Sunil, alongwith the police investigation of the murder by Sunil's love-hate buddy, inspector Prabhu Dayaal, starts investigating the case in his own style.

Sunil comes to know that that the last case being worked upon by Deena Naath was assigned to him by the head of an industrial family - Jaanaki Devi Agrawal who had hired his services to spy the activities of her sons and daughters-in-law. While the investigation of Deena Nath's murder is underway, one more murder takes place which is of Brij Bhushan, the so-called cousin of the younger daughter-in-law of Jaanaki Devi - Jyotsana whose husband and Jaanaki Devi's second son - Raam Kumar had passed away in an accident some two-three months back. Jaanaki Devi, being a very stern matriarch, keeps her sons under excessively strict discipline and control though they are grown-up, married and responsible now. Her sons and daughters-in-law are feeling suffocated under her exaggerated discipline but not able to raise their voices before her. Sunil not only unmasks the murderer of Deena Naath and Brij Bhushan but also teaches a lesson to Jaanaki Devi that when the children have developed into educated, mature and responsible adults; the parents should gradually loosen their grip on them and allow them to breath in the free air, living their lives like normal human-beings, not bonded ones.

Office Mein Laash is a typical novel of Sunil series containing all the ingredients of an interesting crime-detection novel that Mr. Pathak's readers always expect from him. It has good story containing suspense and social elements with a moral, murder-investigation consisting of suspecting the people through the clues found, interesting interactions between Sunil and inspector Prabhu Dayaal, friendly leg-pulling of Sunil by the receptionist of Blast - Renu, portrayal of the working in the office of a newspaper with minute details (in those days, now it may be different) etc. It was penned by the author in the late seventies but even today, its reading provides a wholesome entertainment to the mystey-fans as well as the readers liking social dramas.

Mr. Pathak possesses the knack of exasperating human sentiments in his novel in a superfine manner which adds value to the suspense-story. Sunil's eye-opening outburst in front of Jaanaki Devi can prove to be the eye-opener for the reader too as to how to treat own grown-up offspring. The narrative of this novel is free-flowing, the language is good and the climax is impressive in which Sunil develops a trap for the murderer, making him confess his crime.

I wholeheartedly recommend this novel to all the Hindi readers. Such novels are categorized as pulp fiction work but it's a novel which is high not only in entertainment value but also in inspirational value, giving an unforgettable lesson to the authoritative parents of adult sons / daughters.