#BookReview :: Toke by Jugal Mody

So Lord Vishnu showed up one morning when I was really stoned and asked me to save the world from turning undead. How did I save the world? I didn’t. We did. And while saving the world, I got to forcefully kiss the girl of my dreams. Many times. My best friends got to smoke a lot of good shit. A lot more than they would have otherwise smoked in that much time. They also got to crash an airplane outside Santacruz airport and kill a lot of poor people. But don’t worry, they were not people when they died. We were joined on our quest by two Japanese girls who can kill people with their pinkies, one of whom forcefully kissed Danny. Yes, there was a lot of non-consensual kissing in this adventure. With tongue.

Hi. I’m Nikhil. This is my story. And I swear I have a t-shirt to prove it. 




Like the summary claims, this is indeed the story of Nikhil. (I would love to get my hands on the t-shirt). He is an average Indian guy, stuck in a mundane job, surrounded by hyper friends and ever disappointed parent. One day Nikhil ends up in the flat of his friends (Aman & Danny) and gets stoned for the first time. On waking up he meets a talking crow, who at first claims to be a celebrity and later on Lord Vishnu, and ends up taking the responsibility of saving the world that is about to come to an end. Armed with a red panic, weed, some close and some not so close friends, Nikhil embarks upon ‘the journey’ of his life. And oh! There’s that unattainable lady figure in the story too.

The main characters in the story are all very modern day, average people that we happen to be, to know and can relate to in many bizarre ways. Nikhil is someone you will find yourself cheering on and rooting for. So, that was a huge ‘plus’ side of this story. The author’s writing style is also something that can be mentioned in the ‘plus’ category of the book. His unpretentious style of writing and the fast pace of the story kept me going. Then there’s the humour factor in the story in large doses that will make you at least smile, if not laugh outright. The plot on the other hand is something else. It was pretty predictable, even with all the fantastical twists – like the Japanese girls!

What I liked most about this book was the Author’s take on Hinduism, not as a religion but as a way of life. With so many clichéd love stories flooding the market, I also admired the way Jugal has tried to bring something ‘different’ to us readers. And it is because of that, and the good humour, that I would rate this book as an entertaining read.

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