#458 - Lakshadweep Adventure
by Deepak Dalal
“Lakshadweep Adventure” by Deepak Dalal. Published by Penguin. A tale of Vikram and Aditya whose mission is to sabotage a devious kidnapping plot that they stumble upon while on a holiday in the picturesque islands of Lakshadweep.
The Lakshadweep islands are a chain of mesmerising coral islands far out in the Arabian Sea. Vikram and Aditya are visiting the islands during their winter holidays. Captain Abbas Khan, father of Aditya, is a naval helicopter pilot stationed at Kadmat which is one of the larger islands of the Lakshadweep archipelago. Vikram’s father who was an ecologist and wildlife lover had told him that the real beauty and treasures of the islands lay underwater. It was a very different and interesting world out there compared to anything that he had seen before. Vikram was spellbound about things that he mentioned like scuba diving, turtles, corals, fish and sharks. Aditya had also raved to him about the thrill of windsurfing. This made him look forward to their trip there.
When they reached Kadmat via a ship from Kochi, they were received by a boy called Faisal who lived there. He was the son of Mohammed Koya who was the head of the water sports centre in Kadmat and a good friend of Aditya’s father. The boys hit it off with Faisal and the trio became good friends. Vikram started learning windsurfing. But before they could get an opportunity to go diving at the coral reefs, there was an unexpected problem that presented itself. A high security guest from Sri Lanka whose life was under threat from the militants was being brought to Kadmat for protection. The navy was going to seal off the entire lagoon which meant that there would be no sailing , diving, windsurfing and swimming. The adults planned to send the three boys to Kalpeni island where they could live with Mr Koya’s brother Basheer. Kalpeni had a lagoon too like Kadmat. However Faisal seemed averse to the plan as he did not like his uncle who he felt was a dubious man. And true to his suspicion, Basheer turned out to be a bad guy involved in a devious kidnapping of Kumar, the high security guest from Kadmat. Vikram and Aditya’s idyllic holiday was about to be turned into a desperate struggle for survival. Faisal is captured by Basheer Koya and he wants to catch Vikram and Aditya as well. The boys are on the run and it is a stormy day at sea. Their only hope is that Shaukat whose boat they are in will be able to steer them to safety and help them rescue Kumar. What were they going to do? Could they sabotage Basheer Koya’s sinister plan and rescue Kumar? How were they to seek help from Aditya’s father who was on Kadmat island? Read the book to know how the boys get embroiled in an incredible adventure in the ocean.
The plot was thick with action and mystery. The twists and turns kept me and my nine year old son at the edge of our seats. We couldn’t help marvelling at the unmatched beauty of the incredible ocean and its coral reefs. The description of the region was so enticing. This is the fourth book of the “Vikram-Aditya Story” series. We have already read and enjoyed the first three namely “Ranthambore Adventure”, “Ladakh Adventure” and “Snow Leopard Adventure”. The author showcases a special creature in each of the books in this series by means of an adventure set in a diverse region of India. In this book it is the sea turtle in Lakshadweep. This series has become one of our favourites now! Deepak Dalal’s writing style and the topics are what we enjoy a lot :)
Recommended Age
The book is apt for children aged 13 and above for self reading but can be read to a younger child like we did (at his insistence of course!).
Reasons to Read
For an action packed storyline that is going to make one take a dive into the idyllic landscape of the Lakshadweep islands from the comfort of an armchair :)