The journey of Captain Munsamy begins in Chennai and quickly moves to Kolkata, where the story starts to unfold. The flight to his final destination, Dimapur, Nagaland, is cancelled and he ends up spending a night in a hotel in Kolkata with a fellow passenger and a Naga native, Jameer. The contrast between the two in their stereotypical appearance and cultural background is hard to miss, but they quickly strike a rapport. Their political persuasions bring them closer despite mutual suspicions in the beginning.
The story draws its title “Transverse Lie” from Munsamy’s experience or lack thereof in delivering babies. It is a microcosm of India that is vast and diverse. Munsamy finds himself in the company of priests of different faiths in the unit and complements the spiritual gurus as an atheist guru that the army doesn’t appoint. But they all seem to get along well in spite of having different beliefs.
celebrations in the army camps on Independence and Republic days, soccer match between two battalions as if it is a fight between two clans, warm and cold relationship between army personnel and local people are detailed.
Novel tries to bring the Kashmir conflict into the story. Politics of Kashmir and alienation of the people through Capt Munsamys own knowledge of history and Aklaq’s firsthand experience. Aklaq’s wife delivers an underweight baby on January 26, and the baby dies in few weeks. In the aftermath of the attack on Indian parliament, the army prepares for a war, and Munsamy’s unit moves to the Northwest close to Pakistan border. While the story moves to Punjab the sufferings of soldiers without an enemy bullet are dealt in detail
All ten chapters in the novel named after places which drawn on India Map represents a shoulder presentation(Transverse lie position)