Devputra: A Story of Rebirth

by Neil D'Silva

What if one’s past life refuses to stay buried?

Starting as mere glimpses of déjà vu, Aditya Nayak, a child growing up in Mumbai, remembers his previous birth as Dara, a man who lived in Punjab thirty years ago. But his was a life filled with heinous crimes, which left behind a huge karmic debt for Aditya for repay.

Even as his mother, Kalki, tries to bend the cosmic rules to detach her son from his previous birth, Aditya grows up and finds love. But even the love is Aditya cannot be with Sannidhi, his perfect woman, unless he confronts his dark legacy and redeems his past.

Will Aditya be able to break the chain of karma and rise above it to prove himself as Devputra?

From the oeuvre of India’s finest horror author, Neil D’Silva—renowned for spine-chilling tales like Maya’s New Husband and Yakshini—comes DEVPUTRA, a suspenseful and emotionally charged story of love, destiny, and redemption.

Genres: Supernatural

Kindle Edition

Published January 1, 2025

About the author

With 12 books to his credit, Neil D’Silva is a known name in the Indian literary world. His unique stories have struck a chord with a wide range of readers, eliciting praise from various quarters. He is published with leading publishers such as Penguin Random House, Rupa Publications, and Hachette among others, and has won screen adaptation deals on four of his books.

He has been named as one of the Top 7 Indian horror writers to be read by UK’s DESIblitz magazine. Considered as one of the forerunners of contemporary Indian horror literature, he has been covered by several leading publications and is invited to speak at prominent litfests around the country.

He was a winner at the Delhi Literature Festival Short Story Competition of 2015. His book Maya’s New Husband won the title of Entertainer of the Year at the Literary Awards 2015 that was co-hosted by Authors’ Ink Publications and Inside Stories.

Reviews

[Kiranmayi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was the year 2000; while violent mobs went berserk on the lanes of Mumbai, Shankar Nayak had to call a mid-wife Roopa to his house to help with delivery of his pregnant wife Kalki, as it was impossible to go to a hospital or call a doctor. Even after all attempts by Roopa to help Kalki deliver, she delivered a still-born baby. But a few moments later, a miracle happened — the baby came back to life, prompting Roopa and Kalki to assume he is Devputra.

Aditya Nayak grew up to be the darling child of Kalki and he showed signs of growth ahead of his age. However, he also started behaving weirdly — called a random number every afternoon, signed his paintings with an unknown name. But when he started getting aggressive with kids his age, and after his parents discovered the truth about him, he was sent off to a boarding school in Dehradun, and Kalki hoped this change would help him.

After reaching adulthood, Aditya started encountering a ghost woman and her dog whenever he tried getting intimate with women. Upon returning to Mumbai, Aditya fell in love with Sannidhi but the secret of his birth has gradually grown so powerful that it threatened his life. Is Aditya indeed Devputra like his mother Kalki dreamt him to be, and what is the secret of his birth, forms the rest of the story.

The story begins as a combination of rebirth, past life regression and souls with unfulfilled desires or sudden deaths, as the author builds on Aditya’s past life revealing only in the second half the actual secret behind his birth. This non-linear story telling keeps the reader engaged as the author reveals the suspense slowly and every time there is a twist in the story, the reader will end up gasping.

When I started this book I expected it to be a psychological thriller but towards the end, the author also adds up few supernatural elements, hence adding to the thrill. There is a strong message on how women in India tend to cover up the crimes and mistakes done by the men of their house — be it husband, brother or son and I loved how the author draws these comparisons from mythological figures to current times; and how a woman should break that chain by doing what is right and not what their blood relation suggests.

All the characters introduced have their significance as the author ties back every character to the narration. There are few slower moments in the middle parts where Aditya is transforming into a different persona and if those parts can be ignored, this story is an absolute winner.

[Siddhant Agarwal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neil’s writing is quite powerful and the book is nicely written. The idea of the past life coming back to haunt the present is explored wonderfully and the scenes are narrated in a manner that keeps you hooked in the book. The book relies on the unknown to push the story forward and that mystery is nicely captured in the storytelling. The opening scene of the book sets the tone of what is to come, and I liked the shock and awe moment that happens when the scene hits you. As the story progresses, there are more questions than the answers, and as a reader, you keep turning the pages to unravel the threads. What I loved in the book was that there is a secondary storyline with Kalki that teases you but you are thoroughly engrossed in Aditya’s story. I liked that Neil takes his time to reveal the central plot of the story and it comes across beautifully. The entire plot around Kalki and the path she takes to save Aditya is nicely structured and I loved the way it was presented till the end. Neil also puts light on past-life regression therapy, and the impact it can have on someone. The climax plays out perfectly and the godly appearance was quite surprising as well as a nice closure to the story.

The character development is very well done and you are instantly attracted to the characters, especially Kalki and Aditya. The story explores their stories in detail and you realise their traits as you progress into the story. Shankar as a person is the anchor who holds down the family, and while there is not much inclusion of him in the story, I liked how Neil uses his perspective to show the changes in Kalki’s live and nature. The sub-plot about Jimmy and his book was a nice addition to show the evolution of a character as they realise the gravity of the situation and how it can change your view of looking at life.

The book is recommended for the sheer thrill that it gives you while you read the book. There is a surprise element in the book that was enthralling and unexpected. The entire exchange that happens was the highlight, and while I would have loved to include that in the review, but in the interest of this being a spoiler free review, I would let the readers find that out when they read the book.

[Artistic Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Devputra: A Story of Rebirth" by writer Neil D'Silva is a Engaging Mythological Fiction. Neil has masterfully weaves together elements of mythology, the supernatural, and karma. Aditya Nayak is a boy from Mumbai. He is the central character of the book.
He begins recalling some things from his previous life as Dara. A Punjabi man with a criminal and violent past. As time passes, Aditya realizes that his current relationships and future are still affected by his past-life karmic load. Aditya must confront his history as he seeks love and redemption with his fated partner, Sannidhi. Despite Kalki's attempts to protect him from this universal weight. It's a fast-paced saga of fate, romance. and the timeless battle between good and evil.

Neil D'Silva narrates a captivating and moving story with great expertise.The tale is rendered effective with vivid imagery and understated allusions to myth. The story's characters have three-dimensional aspects. And the central character Aditya's story is very sincere and touching. The excellent transition between the past and present keeps readers fascinated. The story presents a captivating voyage and highlights significant teachings such as karma and forgiveness.
This is an outstanding addition to the genre of mythological fiction, and D'Silva's capacity to elicit powerful emotions and raise readers' curiosity is unbelievable.
Due to its compelling plot, richness of thought, and long-lasting characters, I would rate this book a 4.5-star rating. The fans of creepy and mythical stories must read this.

[Manali · Rating 4 out of 5]

A blend of supernatural and magical realism, thrown in with bits of horror. Overall, a compelling take on rebirth, reincarnation, and the concept of Karma.

My rating : 4.3/5
Declared dead at birth, Aditya Nayak, is nothing short of a miracle baby as he starts breathing, a few seconds after the midwife and Aditya's parents were just beginning to accept the truth. Right from childhood though, Aditya carries some peculiarities like not allowing the barber to cut his hair, having episodes of intense rage where he hurts his friends and relatives physically. The scariest though is when he claims to know of a remote place faraway from his birthplace, Mumbai, that he has never visited. When everything he narrates about that place turns out to be true, leading to some scary revelations including a woman's dead body; his parents send him away to boarding school. After 15 years, he returns to Mumbai, but is all fine with him now? Kalki, his mother, has her doubts because whenever Aditya is with a woman, that raging part of his unleashes. Will Aditya ever be able to thwart that part of his soul?

Full review: https://wp.me/p6XQyB-6nm

[Lavanya Nukavarapu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the plot and the way the author spun the all encompassing love throughout the story. I also loved how the author brought in the mythological figures in the story that only boosted the story to the next level.

Character build up and the flaws and the insecurities of the characters was well chalked out. The ending was high tempo and perfect.

But what I did not like is the mix up of incarnation and possession in the story. I wish the author had researched more on reincarnation and rebirths and resorted to a different technique of story telling/narration when he had to show the different personas from the previous birth in the same souls. It felt a clumsy mix up between rebirth and possession and did not sit well with me the entire concept of split souls. Otherwise, it is a good and enjoyable read.

Total 3.5 out of 5.

[trupti tapasi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another page-turner by the uber talented Neil D'Silva. Devputra is a gripping tale of birth and death, of survival and separation, of betrayal and beliefs. It is the story of Aditya...a boy...just like any other. Loved by his family, with dreams in his eyes. But that's not all. It's the story of another soul within him...one that pulls him like a puppet. It's also the story of a mother's tenacity, a father's vulnerabilities, of challenging age old myths and creating new ones. Recommended for readers who are interested in the supernatural, curious about the cycles of birth and rebirth or just willing to invest undivided attention to the book. Because once you begin...it keeps you glued.

[Nandini Reddy Dayal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dead baby is revived through an unexplained miracle, but the joy is drained away when the nightmares begin. In a story about rebirth, past lives and karmic debt, Neil D'Silva excellently crafts a story that brings together so many beliefs and mythology popularly used in horror in India.

This horror story combines gods, ghosts, and guilt to give a rather heady mix of horrific situations. Definitely a good read for a horror fan, and a Neil D'Silva fan, I thought he had not made a better character than Sadachari but Dara has definitely overtaken him. I like the closure he gave each character and also how well-defined their contribution to the story was.

[Ravi Chaithanya Yalamala · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have finished this book in just 5 hours. Such a page turner!

It’s not a horror novel. But it’s a perfect blend of Supernatural, Mythological (a bit), Romantic, Emotional with a pinch of Gore.

Liked it a lot ♥️