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2000s: A young boy plays out at being detective in Delhi
Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line
What you need to know before your trail
Nine-year-old Jai watches too many reality cop shows, thinks he’s smarter than his friend Pari (even though she always gets top marks) and considers himself to be a better boss than Faiz (even though Faiz is the one with a job).
When a boy at school goes missing, Jai decides to use the crime-solving skills he has picked up from episodes of Police Patrol to find him. With Pari and Faiz by his side, Jai ventures into some of the most dangerous parts of the sprawling Indian city; the bazaar at night, and even the railway station at the end of the Purple Line. But kids continue to vanish, and the trio must confront terrified parents, an indifferent police force and soul-snatching djinns in order to uncover the truth.
Locations
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Travel to Delhi via the Purple Line and the railway children
This is a story set firmly in the slums and on the train tracks of Delhi. Tales of children going missing, leaving home are rife and one young nince years old boy decides to use his knowledge of crime shows to see if he can find some of the missing.
The author paints a realistic and often painful picture of life in the slums . Through the eyes of a young boy especially, you get to see the daily life there, the sights of what goes on, the reality, the community spirit and of course the overriding poverty.
This is a place where life is cheap and where children’s lives are cheaper still:
“The man scratches at his feathery beard. “Kids around here disappear all the time,” he says. “One day they’ll have too much glue and decide to try their luck somewhere else. Another day they’ll get hit by a rubbish truck and end up in a hospital. Some other morning, they’ll be picked up by the police and sent to a juvenile home. We don’t make a fuss about anybody vanishing.”
BookTrail Boarding Pass: Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line
Destination/location: Delhi Author/guide: Deepa Anappara Departure Time: 2000s
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