Aditi's Monologue

Operation Payback – my latest book based on the Indian Army is here!

My first book Soldier & Spice was published in 2013 – yes, exactly 10 years back! – by Westland, and three books later, I am super thrilled to share with you that my next book is all set to release on Independence Day, i.e. 15 Aug 2023. Yay! The book is titled Operation Payback – more about the story in a bit but for now, let me share that I am elated.

Here is the link: Operation Payback

Please pre-order and gift a copy to some who likes to read. There is nothing more that I want than for this story to reach as many readers as possible. Funnily enough, I had a dream last month that Operation Payback is turning into a big movie and Alia Bhatt is set to play the main character, along with SRK as the main negative character. Delusional? Maybe. But I am manifesting a BIG reach and bigger love for this story.

I am so happy about this, and I’m on top of the world, because after getting back to full-time work, living in Gurgaon with the kid while the fauji husband is posted to a remote location, I never thought I would have it in me to write another book. So, this is a delight to me in every sense.

Operation Payback is the story of a Veer Nari (war widow) who decides to join the Army and serve the nation after her PARA SF commando husband is killed in action in a terror attack in Kashmir – and the story covers her enthralling and inspiring journey of being the first lady office in combat, discovering her inner strength and learning about true heroism while getting payback. As I mentioned at the beginning, this is a story based on the Indian Army – but goes on a different path than my first book Soldier & Spice which was about the grand and mysterious Army Wife Life. Operation Payback is about an army wife, who lost he PARA SF Commando husband in the line of duty and then joined the Army herself. And this is not all, the story takes her through a twist of fate that leads her to exact revenge for her husband’s martyrdom, and avenge the nation.

I have always been incredibly in awe of army wives who go on to join the army after their husbands gave their lives for the nation. And I don’t just mean the vigorous academy training, but just the jazba, and the sheer willpower to follow the path that their brave husbands walked and gave the supreme sacrifice. This story is my tribute to such brave women, and my hope is that the story inspires girls and boys across the nation.

Operation Payback is going to be published under Penguin Veer, Penguin Random House’s division that publishes stories and books about the Armed forces.