Kashif Mashaikh graduated from the University of Mumbai with a degree in computer science and lives in Mumbai, a city that is often romanticised in his literary work. His debut novel, Mortuary Tales, a modern day retelling of Vikram - Betaal, was published in June 2021 by Westland Books and was well received by critics and readers alike.
Kashif has also assisted renowned author S. Hussain Zaidi with “Class of 1983.” The book is based on the trials and travails of encounter cop Pradeep Sharma and his colleagues from the Mumbai Police. A saga of cops and gangsters, the novel was adapted into a Netflix original by Red Chillies Entertainment.
This book is amazing, extraordinary and a page-turner. The story revolves around Jeevanram and a young trainee who works under him in the night shift at the mortuary of the Grand Trunk Hospital in Mumbai. The young trainee, who has a degree in business management, has started working in the hospital under compulsion as he couldn't find any other job. He is not very comfortable with the fact that he has to deal with dead bodies. On his first night at work, he threw up all over the floor at the sight of a dead body, as seeing death from a very close range is not something he is used to. Thus, Jeevanram, who has been working in the mortuary for the past three decades, starts telling him stories that will help him face his fears and give him courage.
These bone-chilling nine dark stories deal with the horrors of the human psyche, loneliness, guilt, loss, and emotional struggles of an individual. I kept the writing style simple and how have developed each story. These stories are horrific, and the ending of each story makes the reader contemplate. Some loved reading stories are 'The Old Woman's Soul', 'Meeting Freddie', and 'The Lookalike'.