Supriya's Banter
“Media is having a field day with theories and conjectures. One day, they call them Robin hood murders- suggesting they were murders cunningly staged as suicides by someone who wanted to expurgate society. And another day, it is all clustered as copycat suicides, where these F**kers are supposedly emulating each other for the public spotlight- something called the Werther effect. I wonder which idiot thought of this as the only way to entice media —now they are more infamous than ever before.” Ajay sneered.
Bhuvan drew his brows together and glared at his colleague. Ajay instantly lowered his gaze.
Bhuvan mulled over the theories. At this juncture, it was impossible to refute any of the hypotheses. He chafed at the jarring similarities of the crime scenes.
The victims belonging to the crème de la crème of the society had no business to die in those dilapidated hotels and lodges. If they were murders, why were there no other fingerprint marks other than the victims? Why the hell did they all choose places named ‘Janaki’ in the dingy, congested areas?
Yet, there had been no common thread connecting the victims. It did not seem they knew each other at all. Then, why had they all chosen to die the same way?
Bhuvan ran his head through his hair. There was more to it than met the eye.
—Excerpt from my story Splintered Souls
As the title of this collection suggests, this anthology offers a wide range of interpretations of the word ‘shattered.’
Stories of broken lives, unfulfilled promises, cracked beliefs, fractured egos, crushed hopes tug at your heartstrings.
‘Shattered’ contains nineteen incredible stories in varied genres from eighteen talented writers. It is a product of Penmancy’s second-anniversary celebration and its attempt to showcase the brilliant minds behind these stories to the world. Top-Notch editing by Kajal Kapur, Rham Dhel keep you hooked till the very end. Olinda Braganza’s expertise in sequencing the stories and tying them in a premise renders the whole collection like a story within a story.
Grab your copy here:
India: https://amzn.to/36ocjzS
Brazil: https://amzn.to/36lRzZA
Japan: https://amzn.to/3ijNWWB
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Some Reviews for my story Splintered Souls-
I have been a part of Penmancy, the writing group managed by two dynamic and energetic admins, for more than a year. And every two-three months, a new writer would come in and break the monotony with his/her writings. One such prodigy is Supriya Bansal, who also happens to be a radiologist. It would be fair to say that she came and she conquered. Yes, that kind of a writer she is!
Her story in #Shattered #SplinteredSouls doesn’t fail to surprise me. She keeps us hooked till the end, and Man! How she delivers. This woman (Moi), aided by her bifocals, managed to read the story in twenty minutes. That’s quite a feat for a woman who loves and believes in holding a book and reading it. Thank you, Supriya, for the fabulous story. —Srimati Sen
Drama, thriller, suspense all blended into one. The plot was brilliant. And an A for the narration. — Sanjukta Ghoshal
I was left speechless after reading this story. The author Supriya Bansal is a gem of a writer, and she has proved her mastery through this story. The first paragraph itself is very inviting, especially if one enjoys reading murder mysteries and thriller stories. Inspector Bhuvan’s character was well etched; consider it as the author’s fine observation skills or excellent storytelling ability. A revenge story that’ll shock you with the twist and turn of events. It all started when a few kids studying at a boarding school, commit criminal acts. Their ill deeds shatter lives until the brother of the victim return to avenge and punish the wrong-doers. The readers will surely empathize with Tapan, the victim’s brother and the real hero of this story (purely my perspective). The lucid language, taut narration, and intriguing plot kept me hooked till the end. The splintered souls not only invited trouble for themselves, but they burnt down the hopes and aspirations of a few others. You’ll love every bit of the story. -Moumitta Dutta
The author successfully tricked me in the beginning. Fantastic way of describing details, too! The story takes me to different places, in different loops of time. It also gives a solid description of ‘shattered.’ it has a heavy touch of reality which for me, serves as an eye-opener that there are always (two or more)sides of the story. —Trixiah Ann Maurez Grafil-Gumba
‘When you read a whodunit set in the hills; and then you throw a boarding school, some rambunctious boys and the element of mystery into the mix, tell me, what does it remind you of?
Well, to me, it was Agatha Christie, Enid Blyton, and Ruskin Bond – all rolled into one.
Splintered Souls by Supriya Bansal is the story that I am talking about. It could be a story about any of us. Things that we think will never happen to us, the net of safety that we presume, cloaks us – are these just fanciful things?
Supriya’s story proves that the unexpected comes at the most unexpected times and that too with painful repercussions. Her story is a story of friendship, of family, and of loss. But, make no mistake; it is a whodunit, first and foremost. Backed by beautiful language and her penchant for bringing to life scenery and environs, this is one story that is sure to linger. This story delves into the things that a person can hold dear.
Can the removal of that thing affect the person both positively and negatively? To know, read the story… -Sonal Singh
An awesome collection of short stories. The stories are a quick read, but they stay with you for long. So-engrossing that you lose track of time and find yourself asking for more. A thrill read “Splintered Souls” by Supriya Bansal left me with goosebumps. The entire story was moving like a movie in front of my eyes. One should grab a copy of this amazing collection and read it to enjoy different genres and writing styles in one book. -Amazon Customer Review
