PLOT: 4.5/5
WRITING: 4.5/5
CHARACTERS: 4.5/5
OVERALL: 4.5/5
There is something about books and stories set in the remotest corners of India that make your inner child tingle with a sense of adventure and excitement, burn with curiosity, but at the same time, evoke a sense of a dangerous and forbidden world. So, when I spotted Anukriti Upadhyay’s Daura tucked away on my bookshelf, waiting to be discovered, I couldn’t resist. I dove right into the deep, haunting heart of the Thar desert, where folklore, music, and myth weave together into a tale so mesmerizing, you simply can’t look away.
The clever title
The title, Daura, is a very clever choice, for the word suggests two meanings – a tour or a routine visit, and also a bout of madness. I say apt choice, because both of these play an integral role in the story.
What is the story all about?
This 150-page novel tells the story of a young District Collector posted to one of the most remote, interior outposts of rural Rajasthan—a place no one wants to work in. Perhaps that is why the region remains among the most underdeveloped and cut off in the state.
Our young DC is different, though. He likes meeting the desert people—talking to them, understanding their long-standing issues, and solving them. But that’s not all. He also enjoys mingling with them, inviting them into his personal world, socializing after work, eating their thick bajra and jowar rotis cooked on wood and cowpat fires, speaking freely with the tribal women who are “as brazen as the desert bustard,” listening to their strange desert music, and even inviting them to perform at the Sarkari dak bangla.
All the while, his orderly frowns upon these interactions, holding the stern, classist view that such familiarity with the desert folk is hardly appropriate for someone like him—let alone his DC saheb. While the DC, with his fondness for these “uncouth” people, seems to love this burning, godforsaken wilderness with its unending sand dunes, scattered dhanis, and seedy bungalows, his orderly hopes he is never brought to this place again.
But much to his dismay, as the DC saheb becomes increasingly entangled in this cruel world and its mysterious ways, he begins to lose his grip on reality. Unknown to many, the DC has begun a dangerous descent, encountering beauty in its purest, most unsettling form. Soon, the lines between the real and the imagined blur so completely that the truth must be distilled from the accounts of those around him—the Tehsildar, the circuit house guard, the camel herder, the tribal girls, a medical officer, the police superintendent, and even his orderly.
My thoughts
The setting
The setting, the place, and the narrative is soaked throuroughly in desert culture that you cannot help but immerse yourself in the experience. The book is indeed very atmospheric in that way. Each word visually renders that immediately imprints on your mind and very soon its as if you are watching a movie.
The characters
The people here are so grounded, so achingly rustic, that they linger with you long after the page is turned. The atmosphere carries echoes of Panchayat and Peepli Live, yet it feels even more rooted—steeped in the silences and traditions of desert life. Every character, whether it’s the idealistic DC saheb, the soulful sarangiya, the innocent camel herder, or even the ever-disapproving orderly, adds a distinct texture to the narrative. Together, they create a world that feels lived-in, intimate, and deeply human.
The writing
The magical realism in this book is woven beautifully, giving the story a soft, folktale-like feel. It’s a short read, told through the accounts of different characters, and much of its mystery is left open for the reader to interpret. That’s what makes it so charming. There are no fixed answers, only a sense of wonder and the steady rhythm of the desert.
I love how the book highlights every part of desert life—the food, the clothing, the music, the customs, and even the unique language of the people. The pacing isn’t always even, but it never really becomes a problem.
And the most enigmatic parts of the story? They remain gloriously unresolved, nudging you into your own trail of thoughts and your own personal guessing game long after the last page is turned.
In the end
Daura tenderly weaves the desert’s haunting beauty with the stark, unforgiving realities of life lived there—drawing you into a world where scorching days, and ancient rhythms breathe on every page. And just when your heart settles into this rugged landscape, it plunges you into a mesmerizing tale of desert lore and magical realism, leaving you both spellbound and aching.
Can’t wait to read it? Buy your copy of Daura right away!
