14 Indian urban fictions that are just too good

Man has long evolved to take to the skies and build tall buildings. But along the way, we never forgot to tell stories, or read them. Books on nature, countryside, and serene settings do charm us and and soul, but the ones based on cities are no different. They reflect out ugly side, the polluted soul, and the laughter amidst the cacophony and the loneliness among the bustling crowd. Such urban fictions have interesting storylines, picking on events we look at newspapers daily, and somehow relating so closely to us that we feel like one of those characters blurred in the background noise within the novel. Urban fictions have come a long way, gifting us with some great characters and narratives. These subtle yet powerful storylines stay with us for a long time making us understand life in the most ‘Bukowski’ way possible. We have compiled a list of fifteen most astounding and close-to-life urban fictions that are going to make you root for them for its subtly coveted yet refreshing storyline, glazed with extremely relatable and beloved characters.
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A strong and heavy read, Preti Taneja pens down a modern day King Lear with the characters rumbling through mirages Amritsar, New Delhi, Srinagar and Kashmir. The story rests on the Devraj family, the owner of a vast corporation but still residing in the shades of patriarchy. Narrated in the best way, the words cut sharply with fierceness and energy. The story captures perfect details of the anti-corruption movement of 2011 and 2012 with interesting insights.
Photo: Penguin Random House

This zesty and frolic offering by Trisha Bora is set up Delhi and takes us through the crests and troughs of Kitty Roy’s monotonous life which brightens up when a diplomat's celebrity wife, Roxy Merchant passes away during dinner. Kitty Roy gets a big one to write the story but as she puts her investigative spectacles, she realises that there is more to this mystery.
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Set in the present socio-political scenario of the country, Miss Laila takes a wicked dig at the increasingly ruthless regime of fanatics and pseudo-feminists. The novel dramatizes certain real-time situations with very relatable characters -- a case in point is Damodarbhai (DaMo) the leader with his Beard Squad, and Mukundan, the young Malayali officer who is also a closet poet. Joseph's characterization and aptly-timed humour plays brilliantly to highlight the subtexts of the story.
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‘Maidless in Mumbai’ pens an honest tale about an issue troubling most urban and semi-urban residents: getting the perfect domestic help who understands their priorities, does all the chores without complain and takes sufficient responsibility to maintain the house. Protagonist Anu's situation is extremely relatable to new mothers who have to balance home and career with continuous visits by the quintessential mother and mother-in-law to help them with the house.
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Diksha Basu's rip-roaring comedy of manners ‘The Windfall’ is a surprising novel talking about Delhi's subcategories of the wealthy and the middle-class. The Windfall is a hilarious account of the all the insecurities and superficial demands of the rich, the top one percent of the one percent in India. Basu's novel speaks the truth and reveals the warning signs that come with affluence in a wildly witty and pleasurable manner.
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Jeet Thayil penned a powerful story dealing with drug infestation in Mumbai. Through his immersive narrative, he subtly induced the rise of underworld and a treacherous turmoil of opium addiction. A dark and intriguing tale of gangsters and eunuchs combined with poets makes an extremely original prose work and a hard-hitting one.
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The beautiful love story of Ravin and Khushi stayed with us and we somehow fell for this tragically alluring piece of writing. In a world of swipe left and swipe right, a marriage website sparks love between Khushi and Ravin with a promise to be together forever. The journey of an Indian marriage and its pre-processions are brilliantly captured inside the vortex of a brimming love story.
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"The Promise" is a beautifully written romantic young fiction which portrays the journey of a girl struck down by the storm of life but emerges as a winner defeating all the tragedies. She is a simple girl from Indore who wants to make it big in her carrier. Implored by the ubiquitousness of an elusive, rich and obsessed man, she finds herself stuck in the dilemma of a promise.
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Considered as the Grisham of East, TOI Write India author Ravi Subramanian’s ‘The Banker trilogy’ is an intriguing tale of corporate politics, money laundering, frauds, deceits and love. The story revolves around Ronald, Deepak and Karan when Ronald is summoned by the RBI Governor. This flashy bank thriller gives a shift from the general treatment of urban fiction with its refreshing approach.
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Stranger trilogy is a racing thriller written by Novoneel Chakraborty. Rivanah Banerjee, a young and independent girl moves to Mumbai. She has a perfect life until she finds herself closely followed by a stranger, who soon takes control over her whole life. As the plot unfolds, Novoneel offers a gripping tale of betrayal, love and human emotions ravelling through the jive of past, guilt and self realisations.
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Write India author Durjoy Datta is known for writing gripping romance novels and has successfully struck a chord with the Indian readers. "Till the Last Breath" is one of the best works by Durjoy in which he beautifully portrays the essence of life and death. Two patients with a fatal disease, completely opposite from each other end up in the same room. Two talented doctors put everything at risk to keep them alive. A story raging with every emotion, ‘Till the Last Breath’ will mend your heart with its warmth and then shatter it into pieces.
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Urban fictions can’t be described without TOI Write India author Chetan Bhagat who ushered the wave of urban fictions in India and even made a non-reader read his novels. Revolution 2020 is made by it’s characters who are just as much humans as we are. Three best friends Gopal, Aarti and Raghav step into the competitive world to make their lives. Young, stupid and aspiring, this story perfectly captures the complicated relationship churned between the claws of friendship, career, politics and power.
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Novoneel knows how to hook the readers till the end and create a layered thrilling adventure ride. Ex: A Twisted Love Story is an upfront psychological thriller set in the urbanness of Kolkata and Jaipur. The characters travel through the crests of the pumping storyline running back and forth in through the present and past. Neel, an aspiring author suddenly finds himself stuck in a hurricane when he encounters Nivrita at the Jaipur Literature Festival, an intriguing yet beautiful stranger who turns his life upside down.
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This beautiful and gut-wrenching tale presents dark humour in the best possible way. Winner of the 40th Man Booker prize, this extraordinary piece of literature provides some contrasting details of Indian youth represented by the protagonist Balram who is fighting hard to make his place in the emerging globalized times. Indulge in this one for Adiga’s impeccable writing and thrilling approach to this perfect storyline.
Photo: Penguin Random House