Written by Sameer Anzar, this poignant coming-of-age novel set in the vibrant yet chaotic urban sprawl of 1990s Mumbai. At its heart is Salman, a sensitive and stammering teenager from a prestigious but emotionally distant family in Kerala. Raised in a joint family with simmering tensions and high societal expectations, Salman’s journey begins with abandonment and insecurity—and gradually spirals into the tumultuous realm of love, identity, and emotional betrayal.
As a boy sent away to boarding school in Madras, Salman grapples with self-worth and finds solace in literature, the kitchen, and fleeting friendships. Despite a stammer and poor grades, he emerges with surprising grit and earns a spot at one of India’s top colleges—though not on merit, but through family connections that quietly erode his confidence. Disillusioned and alienated, he drifts through life until a part-time job at a Breach Candy fuel station and a small-time black-market business selling fake branded clothes lend him independence—and a sense of purpose.
Then comes Shalini.
Mysterious, spirited, and magnetic, Shalini walks into Salman’s life with a smile that rewires his universe. She’s charming, sensual, and full of secrets. What begins as a dreamy romance wrapped in late-night walks, rooftop parties, and poetic declarations, quickly morphs into something far more complex. Salman is intoxicated—not just by her beauty, but by how she makes him feel seen, desired, and whole.
But the deeper he falls, the more the cracks begin to show.
Shalini is elusive, sometimes warm, sometimes cold. Her background is murky, her intentions unclear. Friends begin to whisper warnings. Her previous entanglement with a possessive boyfriend named Zubin shadows the relationship like a storm cloud. As Salman battles to hold onto the one thing that has given his life meaning, he begins losing grip on everything else—his friends, his clarity, and ultimately, his own sense of reality.
A brutally honest portrait of young love—its highs that feel like flying, and its betrayals that burn like wildfire. Through Salman’s internal monologue and the vivid texture of college life in pre-digital India, the novel captures a time when communication was slower, love more idealized, and heartbreak less escapable.
But this is more than just a love story. Manipulators is a meditation on emotional vulnerability, masculine sensitivity, and the long-term imprint of childhood trauma. It dives deep into the archetypes of empath and narcissist, examining how wounded people search for healing through others—often ending up more broken than before.
This novel will resonate with anyone who’s ever been naïvely in love, anyone who’s trusted too quickly, or tried to fix someone who never wanted to be saved. It will speak to readers who grew up navigating expectations, silence, and the messy undercurrents of adolescence.
Manipulators is tender, intense, tragic, and real. It doesn’t offer easy answers, but it reflects the chaos of hearts colliding with souls not ready to catch them.