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Let These 6 Audiobooks Whisk You Away into the Fall Season

Leaves are falling, audiobooks are calling! As the seasons change, what better way to embrace the cozy vibes than with a collection of audiobooks that will captivate your imagination? From ancient mysteries to heartfelt memoirs, audiobooks offer a world of stories that can be experienced anytime, anywhere. Whether you’re drawn to thrilling adventures or intimate personal narratives, this collection brings the magic of storytelling straight to your ears. Plug in, relax, and let these incredible tales sweep you off your feet!

 

 

Mrityunjay cover art
Mrityunjay || Parakh Om Bhatt, Raj Javiya

PRESENT DAY, BHARAT

Renowned archaeologist Sudhir Arya dies mysteriously the night before Diwali. His grandson, Vivaan, comes to his hometown to perform the last rites. Here, he gets a phone call that sets him off on a puzzling journey as he discovers thousand-year-old secrets and shocking facts about his identity.

1026 CE, PRABHAS KSHETRA

Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi has attacked the first jyotirlinga of Lord Mahadev: Somnath. Did he seek the temple’s treasures? Or was he looking for a Puranic heirloom of Sanatan Dharma, the mystery of which has been buried under layers of time?

470 CE, ARAB LAND

Yogi Matsyendranath awakens the kundalini energy of his army through the ritual of Aatma Jaagran as it takes on terrifying, evil entities tasked with protecting the greatest mystery of the Kaliyuga.

SATYUGA, ARYAVARTA

Through yagnas, bloody sacrifices and mantras prohibited in the Vedas, Devi Anishtatri, the goddess of malevolence, is invoked. She appears in her most ferocious form and grants a boon so potent it could change the fate of the universe.

What is the link between Aryavarta, Arab Land and Prabhas Kshetra?

What is the vicious boon that threatens to change the fate of the cosmos?

The ultimate battle of Kaliyuga is about to begin . . .

 

 

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Before I Forget || M.K. Raina

In his sparkling memoir, M.K. Raina documents the many lives he has lived. From sharing the stage with some of the most celebrated actors in India to his journey as a young man witnessing the violence and horrors rampant through the streets of Kashmir, an entire history of northern India is painted with subtle elegance.

Brimming with delightful anecdotes as well as poignant, painful memories of a region that once was, this book is a tour de force.

 

 

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Gopal’s Gully || Zarin Virji

It did feel strange to see her lying cold and silent and then being carried away . . . But at the back of my mind was this growing anticipation—Sanjiv Maama was taking me to Mumbai!

When Gopal’s mother dies, his uncle brings him to Mumbai to get a job because he has few prospects as a Dalit boy in a UP village.

Gopal is cast into the unfamiliar world of Squatters Colony, where he has no family or friends. He gets his first job at the bicycle shop owned by the sage Chacha and rapidly makes friends with the strange and diverse people who live in the community—Chacha’s friendly daughter-in-law, the neighbourhood thug Raja, the three-legged Tiger and beautiful Ayesha.

And he learns that when disaster strikes and lives fall apart, he too has a family in the gully.

Zarin Virji’s gripping debut describes the raw rollicking life of Mumbai’s small neighbourhoods with vigour and zest.

 

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Fool Me Twice || Nona Uppal

Since school, Sana has been the popular girl with excellent grades, beloved by both teachers and parents, living an enviable life. Sana and Ashish have been dating since the eleventh grade, sharing the kind of teenage romance that makes it to the bestsellers list, sells out theatres and causes their loveless friends to gag. Nothing, not even long-distance, can tear the two apart. Except, maybe, a handsome, overachieving, book-reading senior from Sana’s college?

Pranav is the typical ‘cool guy’ sought after by the entire college. He also happens to be Sana’s new friend, Aanchal’s brother. But he’ s nothing more than a friend! Sana already has the best boyfriend in the world!

Correction: had, before a drunk driver on New Year’s Eve obliterated her happiness.

Set in New Delhi, Fool Me Twice is an unconventional story that will stump listeners expecting a good, old romance trope. We meet and fall in love with a young couple planning their futures together when life rudely hijacks the steering wheel. Exploring the ways a twenty-year-old navigates grief and life after a loss that shatters most fifty-year-olds, Fool Me Twice looks at the complexity of falling in love ‘again’ at an age where most are falling for the first time, and what it feels like to move on from mourning one great love to make room for another.

 

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Bird Milk and Mosquito Bones || Priyanka Mattoo

Priyanka Mattoo was born into a wooden house in the Himalayas, as were most of her ancestors. In 1989, however, mounting violence in the region forced Mattoo’s community to flee. The home into which her family poured their dreams was reduced to a pile of rubble.

Mattoo never moved back to her beloved Kashmir―because it no longer existed. She and her family just kept packing and unpacking and moving on. In forty years, Mattoo accumulated thirty-two different addresses, and she chronicles her nomadic existence with wit, wisdom, and an inimitable eye for light within the darkest moments.

 

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Grandpa’s Bag of Stories || Sudha Murty

Join Anoushka, Krishna, Meenu and Raghu along with Ajja-Ajji on their adventure to Mayawati, a beautiful hilly region in Uttarakhand. Little do they know their trip will be filled with unexpected magic as, this time, their dear Ajja becomes their new storyteller. Amidst snow-capped mountains and towering deodar trees, Ajja weaves tales of kings and princesses, mermaids and bitter gourds, imparting wisdom and compassion along the way.

As the children explore the mountains, they make new friends, learn about Pahadi folk traditions, marvel at breathtaking sunsets and travel to various destinations.

From the bestselling author of Grandma’s Bag of Stories and Grandparents’ Bag of Stories, Sudha Murty, comes another collection of immersive, captivating and sensorial tales with an exciting new twist!

Mrityunjay: Can Vivaan Unravel The Truth Behind His Grandfather’s Mysterious Death?

The most awaited work of Tantric fiction of 2024 is here! A gripping blend of mythology, suspense, and ancient wisdom, Mrityunjay by Parakh Om Bhatt is about Vivaan’s quest to unravel his grandfather’s mysterious death, discovering a hidden world of tantric secrets and ancient prophecies. Could it be that the severed fifth head of Brahma held the deepest secrets of the Kaliyuga?

Read this exclusive excerpt to know more.

Mrityunjay
Mrityunjay || Parakh Om Bhatt

***

‘Baba, what is death? Why did Mom and Dad have such a short life?’
Vivaan had asked his grandfather these questions numerous times to, only to get a more mysterious answer each time. Today too, he was thinking about death. His thoughts came to a sudden halt as the car stopped. He had arrived at ‘Vasant iwas. The beautiful childhood he spent with his grandfather, the old man’s moist eyes when Vivaan was leaving for London, the spark in his eyes when he returned with a journalism degree and the shock when he announced that he wanted to settle down in Mumbai— the memories were vivid and fresh in Vivaan’s mind. He stepped out of the car and stared at the house. He had never ever thought he would come to an empty home in Rajkot.

 

The vintage-style house was one of its kind in the city. Vivaan opened the huge front door and the light smell of sandalwood hit him immediately. He remembered his grandfather using sandalwood while performing his daily prayers. The scent of the sandalwood reflected Sudhir’s subtle presence. The living room had white marble flooring, antique furniture and glass showpieces. There was a huge, embellished living room, prayer room and kitchen on thefirst floor of the house. Every morning after finishing his daily routine, Sudhir would sit in the prayer room on his mat in a fixed place and was not to be disturbed for an hour–and–a –half. There was another room through the prayer room, the key to which only Sudhir had. Vivaan still did not know what was in that room. He was curious, but after an incident that had happened in his childhood, he had not probed further.

 

Vivaan was shaking as he entered the living room. It was only last night when Sudhir had taken his last breaths in this very room. Vivaan imagined his grandfather stepping out of the prayer room, giving him a warm smile and offering him some prasaad. Vivaan reckoned that he had lost the pillar of his life.

 

His entire existence had crumbled in the last twelve hours. Though he had put on a brave face all this while, he was broken from within. He did not know how he would go on with his life without any family. He forced his eyes shut and crumpled to the floor. Fifteen minutes passed in absolute numbness. The sudden and loud ringing of his phone forced him to open his eyes and come back to reality.

 

‘Hello . . .’ Vivaan’s voice was almost like a whisper.

‘Good evening, son. Have you reached home?’ Alok Chaudhary said, his tone firm but loving.

‘Yes, uncle . . .’

‘Freshen up and come to the morgue. I want to talk to you.’ There was an urgency in Alok’s tone.

 

Alok Chaudhary, commissioner of the Rajkot Police, was a close friend of Sudhir Arya’s. Though they were years apart, they got along well. At fifty-seven, Alok was a year away from retirement. He had achieved the position of commissioner after several years of hard work and was well respected by his department for his excellent observation skills. Many believed that Alok should be in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and use his reasoning and intellect for national security. But Alok had decided that after the wedding of his daughter, Riya, he wanted a peaceful life. He was no longer the same person he had been at the start of his professional journey, mainly due to the emotional turmoil he had gone through in his life. Alok had a profound reverence for Sudhir. Every evening after work, he would visit Vasant Niwas. He had a thirst to learn about history and mythology. And Sudhir Arya was a treasure trove of knowledge! Though he was
fifty-seven, Alok would listen prudently to everything Sudhir said. Their discussions would range from ancient history to the multinational companies that Vivaan ran. He had always addressed Sudhir as ‘Dada.’ When he heard the news of Dada’s death that morning, he could not believe it.

 

Alok had not been able to meet Dada for two days—he had been out in Gondal on business. After watching the news, he immediately asked his team to seal Vasant Niwas with strict orders that nothing was to be touched. Forensic experts were called in and even the tiniest things in the house were analysed. In the end, Sudhir Arya’s body was moved to the morgue. The death certificate was awaited. Alok had called Vivaan to take custody of the body and wrap up the formalities.

 

It was evening by the time Vivaan reached the morgue. Though the Diwali lights shone on Rajkot, Vivaan felt a void and darkness within him. The appearance of the morgue and the copper sign on the gate looked inauspicious. He forced himself to walk towards the room at the end of the lobby. Before entering it, he caught a glimpse of what was going on inside.

 

Alok seemed to be in an intense discussion with three constables and the doctor. They were all standing in a circle and vehemently arguing about something. However, Vivaan was not looking at them. His eyes were seeking his grandfather.

 

The stretcher lying in one corner of the room caught his eye. Unexpectedly, he sighed. He had to hold on to the handle of the door to prevent himself from falling. Hearing the low thud, everyone present in the room looked at the door.

 

‘Baba . . .’ Vivaan was on the verge of collapse as Alok ran towards him and caught him just in time. Vivaan’s eyes were still on the body of his grandfather, lying half-covered with the white sheet.

***

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