The Schoolyard Bet

by Manu Namboodiri

ISBN: 9789360454364

‘‘You come from a family of terrorists.’’ A malicious, low blow. That one schoolyard taunt propels Afzal, an impulsive sixteen-year-old in Shimla, to do something big enough to clear his family's reputation. He concocts a hare-brained scheme to sneak into Pakistan, capture the dreaded terrorist Latif and drag him back to face justice in India. Since teenage recklessness loves company, Afzal's best friends, smart-ass Beena and goofy-ass Rupinder, are roped into his quarter-baked plan. The three slip across the border into Pakistan, but before they can say 'Oh, shit!', intelligence agents, terrorists and drug dealers are hot on their tails-armed to the teeth and baying for blood. What do they do? Abandon the mission, surrender and force the Indian government to barter their lives for a dozen imprisoned terrorists, Latif's psycho companions? Or continue with their quest ... but risk certain death?