In the rotten pits of Hunger
A supernatural horror book that explores the darkness of extreme hunger and starvation and a social commentary on unequal distribution of food. It follows the story of a rich family forced into fatal starvation and haunted by an ancient Goddess of food- Annamati. It sheds light on the psychological desperation that is a result of the darkest crevices of an empty stomach.
Meet the Shukla family
Nakul Shukla-
The oldest son of Narayan Shukla. He looks after all the farms that the Shuklas own. He is business minded and the decision-maker of the family. Everyone respects him.
Rati Shukla-
She is Nakul's wife and runs the house. She is strong spirited, kind and intelligent. She takes up responsibilities without hesitating and is always patient.
Bhuva aka Bhuvan Shukla-
He is the oldest grandson of the family. He is pursuing his PhD in physics. He is extremely smart and responsible but always hesitates to make decisions. He fears saying wrong things and overthinks everything.
Pradeep Shukla-
The second oldest child of Narayan Shukla. He is second in command to Nakul, but more strict. He follows exactly what is told by Nakul. He is ridden with high anxiety in high-stake situations
Neha Shukla-
She is Pradeep's wife. After bearing 3 children Neha's main focus is her youngest daughter.
Charu Shukla-
She is a computer science engineering student and incredibly talented. She is also brave and empathetic towards others and does not shy away from honesty
Anu Shukla-
She is silent but sarcastic. She is always observing everything and is too cool to emote.
Riya Shukla-
The youngest of the grandchildren in the family, she has a great eye for art. She is usually drawing or playing with Jojo.
Ekta Shukla-
The third oldest child of Narayan Shukla. She is divorced and living with the family. Ever since her separation, she has become bitter towards everyone
Hari Shukla-
The youngest child of Narayan Shukla. He looks after the main farm and oversees the labor in it daily. He is hardworking and loved.
Sudha Shukla-
She is Hari's wife and helps Rati with the house. She is fun loving and wears her emotions on her sleeves.
Jogindar aka Jojo Shukla-
He is the naughtiest of all the children. He loves to play outdoor and has less attention span. He is extremely loyal and brave.
Narayan Shukla-
He is the dadaji of the family. He used to run the whole show till 8 years ago when he had a stroke and was left paralysed below the neck. He cannot speak either.
Sita Shukla-
She is the dadi ji of the family, or as everyone calls her- Dai. She is silent, but puts her foot down when needed.
Book Blurb
When the Shukla family wakes up to the suicide of their youngest son on the same day that their
eternally yielding farms all get plagued by rot, they become desperate to try out anything that would
reel them out of the situation. In an attempt to conjure an ancient entity of food, who could
potentially bring the son back and bless the land with eternal fertility, the grandchildren of the
Shuklas invoke a much malevolent spirit that possesses their house. As they begin battling with the
ancient entity as well as the malevolent spirit together, they uncover much darker secrets buried
within the walls of the house.
The entities deprive the family of food and water for days and soon the effects of starvation kick in.
As the mental peace of the family begins to crumble, it is up to the oldest grandson, Bhuva, to save
everyone and get rid of the hauntings.
Will Bhuva succeed in saving the family and bringing his dead uncle back, or will he suffer from the
darker manifestations of hunger?
Every Indian household considers food as God; what would happen if this food itself became solely
responsible for the most malevolent horror anyone could ever experience?