End of Story?

Arjun Shekhar

Is someone out there tinkering with our minds?

Shukrat Ali, a news anchor at Khulasa, the sensationalist 'tabloid' current affairs channel, is out of a job.

TV channels across the country have closed down as a consequence of a Supreme Court ban on electronic advertising. An enquiry is on regarding the emergence of a sinister new form of ads the media has dubbed 'propagandads', which uses compelling subliminal messages to subtly rewire people's minds and influence their actions.

Even as Shukrat grapples with the question: 'How does an anchor move on?' he receives a summons from a criminal court to testify in the trial concerning the killing of his ex-boss, Satya Saachi Sengupta, the mysterious and towering figure in his life, whose connections with this insidious mind manipulation scheme can no longer be denied.

Being a key witness present at the scene of the crime, Shukrat must prepare to bare all before the court and tread carefully lest his testimony boomerangs on him.

Gripping and darkly humourous, End of Story? is an intriguing and intelligent thriller about the dystopian possibilities of everyday advertising.
>