My New Book 'One Day in the life of Javed Khan' is out now!

Really excited to tell you that my novel 'One Day in the life of Javed Khan' has been accepted by Ukiyoto Publishing, Canada and is now on the stands! I am thankful to my publishers for placing trust in my work.

For those ordering from Amazon.com, 

the Paperback + Kindle link is @ amazon.com/dp/9354902251

Indian buyers and those from other countries where Amazon is not available, can order from Ukiyoto website- https://www.ukiyotoindia.com/product-page/one-day-in-the-life-of-javed-khan 

This book is also available on Amazon India.

When Javed Khan’s illusion that once out of jail he would be a free man is shattered, he finds himself questioning the relationships, prejudices as well as the very notions of crime and justice in our society. Along with his younger sister, Ayesha, he sets out to make a fresh start only to realize he is in a far bigger jail and things are anything but normal. Despite loss and miseries, he persists with an unflinching hope. 

Poignant, insightful and flipping between past and present, it is not just Javed’s story but of all those like him who are wrongly labeled as terrorists. 

Based on thorough research, One Day in the Life of Javed Khan presents the truth with specific patterns through a thin veil of fiction.

The Linear Tide- My New Book is Out!

I am so glad to tell you that my new novel 'The Linear Tide' is out (e-book)!

The unique story of a simpleton Avni, an erudite Manav and a compassionate Anurag, 'The Linear Tide' is out on Amazon India!

When Avni meets an erudite and loving ad-man Manav, he splits open a new world of knowledge, literature, art and creativity in front of her making her realize how philistine she had been. Anurag, a vet who also enters her life guides her into a world of compassion, even though he is fighting his own demons and she finds herself trying hard to save his life from collapsing. Their lives then take a strange turn when the ghost of the past returns and she decides to make an unusual choice.

The story, through many other interesting characters, also explores some relationships which are perfect in their own peculiar way.

Do check out. I hope you will enjoy reading it!

Book Review- Mrs. Dalloway

Title               Mrs. Dalloway

Author          Virginia Woolf

Pages             208

ISBN              978-81-7599-421-8

MRP              Rs 150

Publisher    F!ngerprint!  Classics

Rating          2/5 Stars

So finally, I am done reading ‘Mrs. Dalloway’ (1925) by this overhyped, Indo-phobic, semicolon fanatic goddess of incoherent writing known as Virginia Woolf.

This is a circadian novel thus traces the lives of all characters over a single day. Set in early 1900s, this 200 page convoluted work revolves around a 52 years old high-society English woman named Clarissa Dalloway, the wife of a politician in England. As she is constantly disappointed by her reclusive teenage daughter Elizabeth and her ever busy husband Richard, she busies herself in preparing for a party at her house because she has nothing better to do, even though out of some illness, she has turned weak and pale.

That morning, she goes to the market to ‘buy the flowers herself’ for her party in the evening and philosophizes pointlessly on everything around. This novel also describes the insane adulation masses had for the Royal family; everybody in the market goes nuts when a royal car stops for a second before passing by. Another character, a clinically depressed solider, Septimus Warren Smith, is busy conversing with the dead and imagining weird things while strolling in a park with his distressed Italian hat-maker wife. Yet another major character, Peter Walsh, Clarissa’s old lover is back, after serving five years in India’s ‘heat and dust’, to the life civilization and society of London and every woman, ‘even in rags’, seems pretty to him. Woolf’s writing degrades India and its people to dirt and many times, the book put me off. Walsh is staying at a hotel and broods constantly. He goes to meet Clarissa and she invites him to her party which he attends as he could not stop himself from loving her passionately.

Some major themes emerge-

1.  English Culture- The frivolity, snobbery and idiosyncrasies as well as the typical English shrewdness of characters comes to surface very clearly. Clarissa herself is shown as a very worldly, class-conscious and cold.

2.  Clinical Depression- It is one major theme that takes up much space. Described through Smith, Woolf throws much light upon the malfunctioning of a depressed mind. She herself suffered from it and had committed suicide just as Smith in this novel.

3.  Same-Sex Love- The very undertone of Clarrisa’s undying love for Sally, a wild and carefree friend of hers suggests the same.

4.  One-sided Love- This theme is described through Peter Walsh who is helplessly in love with Clarissa and remains unmarried and bitter when she rejects him for a far more successful Richard Dalloway.

5.  Hatred for India- India is described as a grimy land of uncouth barbarians after which London seems like heaven. The author also expresses sympathy for those who served in India while she exalts her country England as the epitome of civilization. By the way, Woolf was sexually abused for a long time by a ‘civilized’ English gentleman named George Duckworth who was her first cousin. Her fatal depression was a direct result of that exploitation. England is the harbinger of apartheid and this work shows many incidences betraying this outlook.

6.  Class Clash- Firstly, Clarissa is perceived as a spoilt, dumb, and wretched woman by her daughter’s underprivileged but erudite History teacher, Miss Kilman. On the other hand, Clarissa detests Miss Kilman for being independent, ugly, poor and single. Secondly, this occurs when Elizabeth feels ashamed of riding an omnibus in market. And lastly, Clarissa maltreats her ‘very poor’ cousin, Ellie Henderson and is shown to be ‘really very hard on her’.

The story describes the lives of people across all classes and sections of post World War- I England, especially focusing on war’s psychological effects. However, the writing is very knotty with truckloads of commas and semicolons, page long sentences, prolonged descriptions of minor characters, never ending musings and pointless philosophies. The outcome is a jumbled maze that annoys for most part. Some parts are good though.

The story ends with an unhappy, lonely and ill Mrs. Dalloway, despite being married and wealthy, drifting towards Peter Walsh, who despite being single and independent, is feeling sad and empty too, just like her.

PS- No more Virginia Woolf for me!

Book Review- Crime and Punishment

Title               Crime and Punishment

Author           Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Translator     Constance Garnett

Pages              584

ISBN              978-93-8653-805-5

MRP              Rs 250

Publisher       F!ngerprint!  Classics

Rating            4/5 Stars

Exactly a month back when I started reading this intense psychological thriller by the famous Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821-1881) little did I know that this work will recast my notions about crime as well as punishment. As the name suggests, the novel revolves around the very concept of crime and the consequent punishment imparted for it. Without superfluous tracks in typical Dostoyevskian style, it questions a very basic thing- if one kills an epitome of the evil, a vile vermin to save hundreds of innocents, how can it be called a crime and who can decide the befitting punishment for the same?

The protagonist Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov is a tall and handsome 23 year old former university student who lives in a suffocating cupboard-like rented room in St. Petersberg, Russia. He publishes an article describing his theory on crime along with a hypothesis relating crime and a high fever. Months later, he shockingly finds himself compelled to brutally murder an old pawnbroker who he considers to be a den of iniquity and a venomous insect. Despite poverty, fever and dilemmas, he comes out unscathed and manages to duck everyone. From police to his intellectual best friend, Razhumihin and from his shrewd landlady to his over-analytical doctor, everyone believes him to be innocent. However, it is his own conscience that he relentlessly grapples with. One day at a cheap tavern, his path entwines with that of a bankrupt alcoholic clerk Marmeladov and later with his dignified but consumptive second wife Katrina Ivanovna (she has three children from a previous defunct marriage) and his religious and timid twenty year old daughter Sonia from his late first wife. When Sonia destroys herself in providing for her starving step-siblings, he bows at her feet, much to the shock of everyone.

The novel also has other important characters like Svidrigailov, a 50 year old pedophile all set to marry a 15 year old, Luzhin, a devious narcissist and Dounia, the erudite and charming older sister of the protagonist, fighting her own demons. Raskiolnikov, till the end stays clear and unsuspected yet it is his inner voice that constantly bothers him and he ends up taking odd decisions in order to run away from his own crumbling self. His way of perceiving things is complex yet he manages to convince the reader into agreeing with him. Twists and turns keep the reader on the edge and the ending gives a nice closure to this powerful work. This novel also throws much light on the then Russian society and culture.

Not just another run-of-the-mill fiction, ‘Crime and Punishment’ requires contemplation on the reader’s part. It takes one inside the frenzied but brilliant mind of Raskolnikov and argues upon the fundamentals such as of crime, what defines it, who can be called a criminal, what the meaning of punishment is, who actually deserves how much of it in any society, in an era and who deserves to rule the masses. This book breaks old moulds of notions and makes one reflect, that too profoundly. It undoubtedly is a timeless classic.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

PS-

*I found this translation to be a bit confusing and messed up at many places hence it is better to get another one from the many available ones.

*The scene of Katrina Ivanovna’s depressing death later in the story, literally shook me up and made me cry.

Book Review- A Basketful of Lies

Title- A Basketful of Lies

Author: Geetashree Chatterjee

Publisher: Creative Crows Publishers

ISBN: 9789384901687

MRP: Rs 199/-

When I received an autographed copy of this book, sent lovingly by the author, I was excited about the cover. You will come to know the reason by the end of this post. However, as and when I started reading the stories, the cover took a backseat and I could not stop wondering at the mesmerizing lyrical prose with which the author has clothed her brainchild. This work is her debut collection of short stories that revolve mainly around urban life and complexities in coming to terms with an inevitable change. Be it the old dignified ‘Maamone’, who chooses an austere life and self-respect over everything or a shrewd small town girl ‘Aninda’ who makes a whole career out of a yesteryear’s superstar, the characters in these 15 stories are very relatable and one can feel them popping out of the paper, for the portrayal is so real.

A few stories have spooky and surreal plots that are fun to enjoy and offer nail-biting twists. Some are about star-crossed lovers and those stuck in sepia memories buried under the nostalgia. Reading these, I felt a range of emotions, from a surge of sympathy for the sincere ‘Probir’ to pity for the old ‘Kaku’ managing a forgotten bookshop.

I will call this remarkable collection as a very ‘balanced’ one for many reasons. The plots are varied yet connected with a common thread, like beads in a string. The prose is lyrical yet it does not crash under its own weight; the passages are beautifully described yet the writing does not go overboard with unnecessary descriptions. The author has a very good command over the language too. So, in a nutshell, if you are a lover of meaningful, clean and well penned literature, this one is not to be missed. I am sure you will thank me after reading this book!

Regarding the cover, I am glad to have sketched the cover artwork. Each painting is done in color pencil and conveys the respective story-line. 

Rating- 4/5

The book is available on Amazon and Flipkart

The author blogs @ Panacea

Book Review- Sputnik Sweetheart

Title:     Sputnik Sweetheart 

Author:  Haruki Murakami

Transl.:  Philip Gabriel

Publ.:     Random House

ISBN:      978-0-099-44847-1

MRP:      Rs 499

Pages:    228

I was looking forward to reading more works by the famous writer Haruki Murakami after I read the very inspiring ‘What I Talk about When I Talk about Running’ about a year back. It is still one of my favorite non-fiction works. My latest read was ‘Sputnik Sweetheart’ which was originally penned in Japanese. It has his characteristic elements such as loneliness, alternate reality, unrequited love, Greece, and of course, cats. The novel does not have a concrete ending and leaves the reader wondering about many possible outcomes, may be similar to the satellite Sputnik- II’s remains still floating in the outer space.

In a nutshell, the plot goes like this-

The author, a school teacher, is in love with his best friend, an eccentric girl named Sumire who is a struggling writer and lives alone in a small apartment. He longs for her but she falls for Miu, a much older businesswoman. Sumire is open and unapologetic about her sexual orientation but the author cannot let go of his love for her. Sumire travels to Europe on a business trip with Miu for whom she works and then disappears suddenly on a remote and non-descript Greek island. Author reaches Greece and Miu reveals a strange and eerie incident happened 14 years ago that had changed her life forever. As he returns, he gets into trouble when one of his students is caught shoplifting. This incident alters his relationship with his girlfriend and he returns to his apartment, pondering over many things.

The novel ends on a very abstract note and is somewhat philosophical in certain parts but not stuffed with long convoluted and didactic sentences. What I could gather from the linear plot narrated in first person is that we all are broken and move in our orbits. Sometimes, we come across each other for brief moments much like the remains of Sputnik II and then go our own ways, all alone. I think the author is trying to convey that in an alternate plane (which was earth for Sputnik II where it was one whole) we live a whole and perfect life the way we desire but in reality, we all are broken pieces, revolving all alone within the orbits of our banal and mundane lives.

My rating is 3.5/5.

Haruki Murakami is a Japanese writer. His books and stories have been bestsellers in Japan as well as internationally, with his work being translated into 50 languages.

Bits & Pieces 6

Chitthi Aayi Hai!

One of the few things that can make me happily nostalgic is written letters. I still have preserved all the paper correspondence I used to have with a same age cousin when I was in school. In early 2000s, the fashion of writing letters started fading but with the advent of cell-phones and social media it has definitely become a long lost memory. We wrote each other letters out of sheer fun of writing and of course, for the excitement of receiving the next one.  Now, I am back on this track and with a few like-minded friends of mine, have joined the letter loving group!

Pic link

Biblio-mania

I cannot have enough of books and it seems I am slowly turning into a compulsive book hoarder, for I have a huge heap of unread titles in my room. Recently, on my trip to my ancestral house, I brought many of my late Grandpa’s books, most of them being classics printed around 1920s and 30s. Last week too, while browsing for something else, I impulsively bought two titles - one by Ruskin Bond and the other by Agatha Christie. Reading may be a good habit but book hoarding is definitely not, so now I will try my best to avoid buying books impulsively, at least this year.

 Rest in Peace...

My heart is deeply saddened by the demise of the brave horse Shaktimaan who died of shock after being given a dose of anesthesia. His case is an eye opener about the pathetic condition of animal-care in India. In western nations, even a local animal hospital is far better than any govt. hospital of India. In fact, after every hurricane and natural calamity, their special squads actively rescue pets and other animals. Such a thing is sadly unimaginable, rather laughable in our country where food grain remains scattered on roads due to lack of storage facility and thousands of liters of water is wasted in the construction of helipads for the ministers who go, ironically, to visit the drought hit areas. We have a mismanaged system working on wrong priorities. In such a scenario, animals remain the most tortured category.

Pic link

Book Review: The Golden Gate

Title:         The Golden Gate

Author:     Vikram Seth

Publ.:        Faber&Faber

ISBN:       9780571200382

MRP:        Rs 295

Pages:       307

                                        

Today I wish to review my very latest read for you

It’s a novel in verse by the inimitable Vikram Seth

About young pals-John, Liz, Janet, Ed, Phil and Sue

Set in 1980’s, story unfolds in city of the golden gate

When a lonely John sets out to look for an apt partner

Pressed by Janet, his ex-a sculptor and band drummer

They come across a plethora of people and situations

Find old friends, heartbreaks, odd and taboo relations

Apart from jealous cats, wines, iguana, art, revolution,

Sleights, breakups, confessions, marches and confusion

Author’s lucid verses keep the reader glued to the tale

He finely etches all characters and lives in good detail

Our author was born in Kolkata, West Bengal in 1952

Though an economist, he entered literature, a field new

His first novel, this came out in 1986, by Faber&Faber

And since has won hearts of its readers the world over

Composed in 14-line sonnet form; inspired by Pushkin

After author read both translations of ‘Eugene Onegin’

So now, I have one more title to appreciate and collect

No brownie points for guessing, it is ‘The Golden Gate’

                                                                  

Bits & Pieces

This weekend I ordered three books from an online shopping portal. One of them ‘Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra’ by Ruskin Bond has won the prestigious ‘Sahitya Akademi Award’ in 1992. Since 2010 I have purchased almost all the books online only. The traditional brick-and-mortar bookstores have been shrinking fast with the advent of online book portals. There was a particular bookshop I used to frequent. The collection was outstanding and for being a loyal customer I received up to 20% discount too- this was pre-2010. A few days back I happened to visit that store and to my dismay found that it is running only for clearing the stocks. The racks were half-empty and a bored sales girl was busy chatting on her mobile phone all alone in the store that once brimmed with customers. Gloomy sight I must say but, change is inevitable.

***

I saw a few samples of paper jewelery somewhere and since then it has caught my fancy. Some four years back I tried making paper mache bangles and other artifacts but that project was not very successful. I will surely try making a few pendants and bracelets from old glossy magazines and coloured papers. All you need is a pair of scissors, a bottle of glue and a dash of some girly creativity!                                        
(Pic: www.craftstylish.com)

***

My disgust with burgers seems queer to my friends. However, I really dislike the very sight of people opening their mouth like a demon to let in highly oil soaked stuffed buns about to burst like a moron’s suitcase. The ads too show people staring at it like hungry dogs and then pushing the entire potpourri having a bit of every single eatable you can find in kitchen into their mouths opened wide, I mean really wide! I am happier with traditional Indian chaat and Gol Gappa!
(Pic: www.karryon.com)

Book Review: Angarey- 9 Stories And A Play

Title:            Angarey: 9 Stories and a Play

                       (Translated Anthology)

Year:            2014

Publisher:    Rupa

ISBN:           978-81-291-3108-9

MRP:            Rs 195/-

My latest read is a bit special! It is an English incarnation of a collection that in 1930’s became the harbinger of a new era in Indian literature. You guessed it right! I am talking about the “Progressive Writers’ Movement”. This book, originally authored in Urdu, laid the foundation of a liberal and progressive stance in Indian Urdu and Hindi writing that heavily influenced the literatures in other Indian languages as well. The Urdu word Angarey literally means ‘embers’ and so was the book that generated a lot of heat and arguments due to its out-of-the-box style and ideas.

(Mr. Ahmed Ali)

‘Angarey’, an anthology of Urdu short stories, was published in December 1932 in Lucknow and was banned in March 1933 for its ‘ultra-progressive’ and ‘blasphemous’ ideas by the government of ‘United Provinces’. Amazingly, the four contributors- Sajjad Zahir, Mahamuduzzafar, Ahmed Ali and the only woman in this brigade, Dr. Rahid Jahan were publicly excoriated but they did not apologize and stayed firm on their stance. The entire stock of this title was burnt and only five copies could be saved. There is much more about it but I would not disclose anymore here, for it will be a spoiler for readers.

Coming to the contents, there are nine stories and one play. The stories give a good peek into the veiled life of Muslim women of that era. The one-act play by Dr. Jahan ‘Behind the Veil’ is set as a dialogue between two upper class Muslim women that reveals a lot about their lives and issues in those times. Another story, ‘Dulari’ By Sajjad Zahir shows how a rich brat spoils the life of his young maid. ‘Heaven Assured’, one of my favorite stories, is a comic take on obsessively religious people. Another favorite of mine is ‘Masculinity’ where a man loses his wife only because he is too touchy and insecure of his reputation in the society. Other stories too, are worth reading. 

(Dr. Rashid Jahan and Mr.Sajjad Zahir)

Through techniques like ‘stream-of-consciousness, ‘interior monologue’ etc. the four authors have vented out their disgust towards the clogged and putrid society that had reduced women into mere objects fit only for recreation and procreation. Overall, ‘Angarey’ shows disdain for puritanical and rotten religious dogmas and ideas and was truly, quite ahead of its times. The translation is good and the foreword has been written by the actress Nadira Zahir Babbar, daughter of Mr. Sajjad Zahir, one of the contributors and major personalities associated with the Progressive Movement.  

 Images from:

-http://www.buzzintown.com/delhi/events/exhibition-some-rare-photographs-dr-rashid-jahan/id--903510.html

-http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2915/stories/20120810291504100.htm

-http://www.geocities.ws/alghayb2007/ahmedalibiography.html

Book Review - Neither Night Nor Day

Title:          Neither Night Nor Day

Edited By:  Rakhshanda Jalil

Publisher:   Harper Collins India

ISBN:        978-81-7223-691-5

MRP:         Rs 250/-

‘Unputdownable’, ‘awesome’ and ‘shaking’, these are some of the adjectives I would use to describe my latest read, ‘Neither Night Nor Day’. It is an anthology of 13 short stories by women writers from Pakistan. However, the collection is edited by our very own Rakhshanda Jalil, the Media and Cultural Coordinator of Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.

These short stories basically deal with the lives of women in Pakistan. This book had been short listed for 'The Commonwealth Writers Prize 2008'. Pakistan’s image for most of us is that of a society very conservative and stifling, suffocating for women in general, but this work dispels that impression. Women now have opportunities to write and to express opinions on a much wider and larger platform .

The first story ‘Plans in Pink’ was not so interesting, but was a good read anyway.

The second, story, ‘The Tongue’ is set in a fictional land where everyone is mute for their tongues are cut as per the orders of the ruler but who fails to sever the will of the people.

The third one ‘She Who Went Looking For Butterflies’ is set within a time frame of a few hours when a lady waits for her execution. Somber and well written, it will definitely touch you somewhere.

The next story, ‘Leaves’ talks about the reunion of childhood buddies in their old age, and is a nice read.

Then comes the story from which the title of the book is taken, ‘Neither Night Nor Day’. This is my favorite as well. Amazingly written, this tells the story of a Paki immigrant in London and her deep set feelings of insecurity and identity crisis. This is a must read.

'The Breast’ talks about the brutality towards women in a Pakistani village. This story will definitely make you feel blessed and you will never curse your family or society again!

The next story is actually an excerpt form a novel by Sorayya Khan. The story ‘Five Queen’s Street’ is set in the time of partition. It is about the abduction of a Hindu woman by Muslim men, witnessed by a Muslim girl and her dilemma and outrage towards her own community.

The next in line is ‘A Brief Acquaintance’, I found personally boring and confusing. It is about Ron, a soldier from USA who dies near Waziristan.

Then comes another favorite of mine, ‘The Job Application’. This story describes the situation we all frequently deal with. It tells the story of a widow who applies for a job vacancy and the great pains she takes to make it up to interview, only to find that the job was not to be given to her, and shows in fine details the how a single unprofessional move by a company creates mess and flutter in her life and upsets her daily routine. You will love this too!

The ghost story, ‘The Sandstone Past’ is the next. This talks about a ghost in the elevator and a girls’ night out party. Basically, the story seeks to describe the cordial Hindu-Muslim relations in old Karachi.

The next story about honor killing can move many readers. In ‘The Wedding of Sundari’, a Sindhi teenage bride gets killed on the very day of her marriage for a very trivial issue, or rather non-issue. This is also one of my favorites.

In ‘The Goonga’, a disabled father dies craving for his son who is too embarrassed to accept him in public. This story literally made me cry and most of the readers will feel the same way.

The story ‘The Heathen Air’ is also immensely readable. This story is about the English ways of a rich lawyer and his wife’s silent suffering when he goes too far in his angreziat!

There is a solid reason behind using the first adjective to describe this book; I finished it within two days of purchase!

PS: I found it much better than the recently published book ‘Urban Shots’ which is also a collection of short stories.