Tak-Tak!
by Soumitra Ranade and illustrated by Shilo Shiv Suleman
“Tak-Tak!” by Soumitra Ranade and illustrated by Shilo Shiv Suleman. Published by Karadi Tales. A spooky and mysterious tale set against the backdrop of an old and abandoned mansion in a sleepy little village with secrets of its own.
Nanikhet was a quiet little village hidden deep in the Sahyadri mountains. Though one might have felt that nothing much could happen there, the place had its own secrets. Zaheer arrived there on a full moon night for some reason which no one knew. He seemed very unusual dressed in an outlandish colonial costume. He enquired about a place to spend the night in Nanikhet. Vishwarao, the tea-seller, told him to go to Diwan Khana which was an old and abandoned mansion at the far end of the town as there were no motels or lodges there.
The offer ended with a warning that Zaheer could spend the night there only if he dared to. The mansion seemed to be straight out of a horror movie. Quite spooky! Though Zaheer was not the one to get scared easily, a chill ran down his spine. He walked in brushing off the feeling. He found a small room with a mattress rolled up on the floor. He slept off quickly. He was woken up by a sound. Tak-tak! Tak-tak! Sure to give one the creeps, isn’t it!
What happened next? Where was the sound coming from? Was someone else there in the mansion? Was it a ghost? Did Zaheer imagine the sound? Did he manage to find out? Did the people of Nanikhet know about the sound? Had they heard it before? Read the book to find out. If you dare ;)
A perfect book to read out loud curled up with the children. Maybe not for bedtime though :D My seven year old enjoyed reading the book though he was on the edge of his seat wondering what would happen next. Thank you Vidya Mani of Funky Rainbow for recommending this book! The book is apt for children aged 6+.
Where to buy from?
The publishers Karadi Tales here.
An independent indie bookstore, Funky Rainbow, from where I buy many of my books.