Haadsaa

by Vish Dhamija

Beautiful young Anushka Khan is a privileged South Delhi wife. Her perfect world turns upside down when she awakens in the hospital, beaten and bruised, her body overrun with prescription drugs and alcohol. Her husband, the nawab Akbar Khan, is missing, suspected of murdering their friend Rajiv Pant at their palatial home in the swanky Sainik Farms. As Anushka makes a slow recovery, trying to piece together her memories of the haadsaa that fatal night, she must contend with ACP Kamala Jha, a diligent young police officer. Jha is focused on uncovering the truth hidden in a web of misleading theories and dirty secrets. Was Anushka having an affair with Rajiv? Was Akbar involved in shady hawala dealings? Was there another man present that evening? What really happened that hot July night in Sainik Farms? Bestselling author Vish Dhamija's latest thriller, Haadsaa, is a maze of deception, leaving you questioning whom to trust.

256 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2025

About the author

Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vish_Dh...
FB: https://www.facebook.com/VishDhamija/...
Twitter: @vishdhamija
Amazon India: http://tiny.cc/vishdhamija

Books:
Nothing Lasts Forever
Bhendi Bazaar
Deja Karma
Doosra
Nothing Else Matters

Reviews

[Rahul Vishnoi · Rating 5 out of 5]

-Untangeling a Web of Deceit-
Review of Haadsaa by Vish Dhamija

Quote Alert
"𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞. 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬. 𝐖𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐤𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧'𝐭. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡!𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝. 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝, 𝐑𝐚𝐣𝐢𝐯 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐭. 𝐇𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞'𝐝 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐚𝐰 𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐑𝐚𝐣𝐢𝐯 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐇𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞, 𝐫𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐮𝐧 - 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐤𝐛𝐚𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟. 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐬. 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤, 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐮𝐞, 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐑𝐚𝐣𝐢𝐯 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧'𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫. 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐑𝐚𝐣𝐢𝐯 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐦𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭,𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐤𝐛𝐚𝐫 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧'𝐭. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫."


A good storyteller, particularly who writes a thriller, is known to carry a fistfull of magical dust. Something that can render the readers partially blind, while letting the writer do the job. He weaves a web of secrets around his characters, making them dance to his tune, and also making the reader think they have figured out. And when the twist comes, the jaws drop. Some thing of this sort has happened in Haadsaa.


So what is it about? Beautiful young Anushka Khan is a privileged South Delhi wife. Her perfect world turns upside down when she awakens in the hospital, beaten and bruised, her body overrun with prescription drugs and alcohol. Her husband, the nawab Akbar Khan, is missing, suspected of murdering their friend Rajiv Pant at their palatial home in the swanky Sainik Farms.

As Anushka makes a slow recovery, trying to piece together her memories of the haadsaa that fatal night, she must contend with ACP Kamala Jha, a diligent young police officer. Jha is focused on uncovering the truth hidden in a web of misleading theories and dirty secrets. Was Anushka having an affair with Rajiv? Was Akbar involved in shady hawala dealings? Was there another man present that evening? What really happened that hot July night in Sainik Farms? Well, I am not going to tell you everything here. Pick up the book and find out more.

As the story progresses, the author builds up emotion and drama, and throws the characters into the mix. The reader can't help build a bridge of empathy with the lives of these people. An emotional cord is immediately hooked and it continues until the last page is turned over. Have a look:
"Considering his financial background, the fact that Akbar was from a different faith didn't bother my parents. I was young, and yet smart enough to understand that the only religion in this world was money. I bet my parents would have thrown a fit when I introduced him, if Akbar had been as poor as us. Or if his family didn't have erstwhile royal nawabi roots in some small principality near the famous Pataudis. Money doesn't simply talk; it can also sing and dance and change beliefs."
Pick it up this festive season.

[Siddhant Agarwal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vish’s writing is wildly misdirectional and every page attempts to throw you off course. The book is a simple whodunnit and each chapter takes you that much closer to finding the killer. Easy right? Unfortunately, with Vish, this time the book is placed on a hypothetical snakes-and-ladder board, where the moment you are close to 100, you get bit and you start at the very beginning. The writing in the book is easy to read, but the complexity of the story is par excellence. The plot is very well planned, and along with ACP Kamala Jha, even you start racking your brains to find Akbar Khan and I must say I came very close to the truth, but alas the curse of the 98 bit me again. The storytelling is powerful and the plot twists are quite interesting to read. The visual aspect of Vish’s writing comes out very nicely and a good example of this is the clock in Anushka’s room. While inanimate and stationary, the mere mention of it becomes a part of the storytelling. Every time you get to hear the events of the fateful night, you try and figure out the reason why and then you come to the climax, and suddenly it is not just the characters, you realise that you’ve been misdirected as well, and it is not just the people in the book, but by our very own storyteller in his signature style using the very elements he has included to help you keep on track in the story. The climax is something that some people might not agree with, however I feel that given the core idea of the book, it was a perfect way to close the story.

Coming to the characters, ACP Kamala Jha is a tenacious investigator and I loved the way she has beein integrated into the story. Even in the face of the strongest challenge, she strives ahead in the face of truth. With the stories that are being told to her, she takes her time and separates the chaff from the wheat. The other characters-Anushka, Aanya, Siddharth, Monica, Piyush and Dr. Aryan-each of them are a part of the story, whether knowingly or unknowingly and after a point, you are not sure whom to trust because of the secrets that are coming tumbling out. I loved how each character gets their time in the story and then gets a graceful stage exit until the spotlight remains on the key characters.

[Tanvi Agarwal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haadsaa by Vish Dhamija is a novel that will make you question your guesses at every chapter you turn. It is a gripping yet complex murder mystery and crime fiction.

Anushka Khan, no, Anushka Anand, as she did not change her name after marriage, was brought to Max Hospital in Saket after she was found badly injured, as her head hit the mirror, crashing it down and leaving her with severe head injuries. When she opened her eyes, the news spread about her affair with her husband's friend, Rajiv, who was now dead, and her husband, Akbar, went missing after the tragedy that led her to the hospital. Wondering about her missing husband and the loss of her lover made her weak, timid, and underconfident because there was news about her husband's involvement in the Hawala business, which she was unaware of, and Rajiv being his supporter in that too.
As the police investigated Rajiv's murder and looked for the missing Akbar, ACP Jha happened to have multiple encounters with Anushka, questioning her repeatedly and leaving her feeling irritated, as if trying to harass her into confessing she was involved in the crime. It was Akbar's friends who came to her rescue and supported her till the mystery unfolded about the homicide of Rajiv and Akbar's whereabouts while she was healing from her injuries.

The characters in the story are suspicious, and with time, readers will get to know some harsh truths about them that will make them wonder about their guesses to find out who the murderer was. Anushka, throughout the story, will act as someone who is seeking sympathy from all ends for her loss. Sid and Aanya, her husband's friends, will remind readers of those friends who stand by their side without any motive to support them in tough times.

[Namrita Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anushka Khan, a privileged South Delhi wife, was found in a hospital bed—bruised and beaten—when she regained consciousness. Her husband, Akbar Khan, was missing and was suspected of murdering his friend, Rajiv Pant.

ACP Kamala was assigned to investigate the case. As she dug deeper, she uncovered not just a murder but also a hawala racket.

Amid these circumstances, Anushka’s friends, Aanya and Sid, supported her during the interrogations, despite the ACP’s allegations of an extramarital affair.

The writing style was amazing, and the story was gripping from the very beginning. The ending was good, though somewhat predictable.

If you’re looking for a thriller, this book is worth reading.

[Klut Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haadsaa by Vish Dhamija is a gripping psychological crime thriller that unravels the dark underbelly of privilege in South Delhi. As Anushka Khan struggles to reconstruct the events of a violent, drug-fueled night, the investigation peels back layers of deception, power, and hidden relationships. With a strong investigative thread, shifting suspicions, and an atmosphere thick with mistrust, Haadsaa keeps readers guessing until the truth finally emerges.

[Aruna Kumar Gadepalli · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thriller and a page turner.

[Sukaina Majeed · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://thenightreader28.wordpress.co...

[Kashish Mehta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read like his normal with some twist in the end. Though the twist is pretty evident that the story line is more or less this