Annie Zaidi's A City of Incident: A Novel in Twelve Parts

 

City of Incident by Annie Zaidi is an entrancing novel in twelve parts – interlaced characters and interlinked lives – set in Mumbai: An infectious city that stands on dreams, each corner depicts a facet of character; every street hides an enigma of life.

"Now, he likes to say that he was born free. Free! At least, he was not wrapped in a black plastic bag, knotted tight so that he would choke to death before being discovered by some rag-picker like himself. At least, his mother gave him a chance to live. Who knows? Maybe she had even wanted him to live."

City of Incident is an intimate portrait photograph of ordinary people, yet it tells stories in the most extraordinary way. The basic plot breathes on longing, solitude, and desire – more than that it illustrates the feeling of being dumped, as you are not a legitimate child.

The feeling of being left alone causes an unsolved puzzle to exist between an unmarried girl and the unborn, the feeling of being paralyzed as too much alone time in one’s hand that sits like a heavy-limbed beast – sits on the chest.

City of Incident is a documentation of the complexities of everyday life. With flawed and unsound characters, the author depicts an unconventional observation, for instance,

‘There is something to his posturing, the languor of his backside as he stands on the footboard, one knee bent, the wind in his hair, and his rifle standing in the corner.’

Have you noticed the style of prose? It absorbed me the most – crisp sentences with a clear perspective – minimal words, and short paragraphs as if the author wants you to experience the scene without any cacophony, and that too intentionally.

City of Incident speaks about the dynamics of the relationship and its corrosive nature, how it takes shape and vanishes.

Each section is pretty amazing, still would love to mention the two most adored titles - ‘A Beggar Recalls Babies in Plastic Bags and Makes Furtive Love’ and the other one is ‘A Bank Teller Sees a Happy Baby on the Street, and Wants to Die’ – apart from that, you get a glimpse of few troublesome happenings in a train.

It begins with a security guard and touches various slices including the struggles of a working-class woman in a so-called sophisticated city, underprivileged society, and patriarchy.

Annie Zaidi is a much-needed voice of Indian literature. I wish more readers could get their hands on this stunning novel.

‘So many accidents happen these days. But that word - accident - it belongs to the vocabulary of innocent. For him, there are only incidents. Some incidents are followed by investigations, which are followed by pleadings, cautioning, and offerings. A link chain of unfolding incidents. What was that old song? This city is a city of incident. Yes, that’s just what it is.’

 

शिवानी के तीन उपन्यास: कालिन्दी, सुरंगमा, और श्मशान चम्पा

 

बीते कुछ महीनों से शिवानी जी की किताबें पढ़ रही हूँ। अपने जीवन-काल में उन्होनें हिन्दी साहित्य के लिए बहुत काम किया। शिवानी द्वारा गढ़े पात्रों की जीवन यात्रा से गुजरकर ये महसूस किया कि स्त्री संवेदना पर लिखी उनकी किताबों को एक के बाद पढ़ते जाना एक नशा ही है। शिवानी का लिखा मुझे किसी अल्पना सा लगता है, एक पात्र के जीवन से कैसे नया पात्र आत्मीय तरीके से जुड़ता है, और कहानी में नई परत खुलती है जो आगे जुडते हर पात्र के साथ पाठक के मन में जिज्ञासा पैदा करती है।

शिवानी ने ना किसी स्तर विशेष के लिए लिखा ना ही किसी एक विधि में, उनके पात्र कस्बों से लेकर महानगर के जीवन का अनुभव करते हैं, घरेलू जिंदगी से लेकर राजनीतिक जिंदगी का झरोखा दिखाते हैं, किरदारों की यही विविधता शिवानी के विशाल साहित्य को अत्यंत पठनीय बनाती है।

इसके पहले भी मैं उनके दो उपन्यास, चौदह फेरे और अतिथि के बारे में अपने ब्लोग पर लिख चुकी हूँ, यहाँ उसी सिलसिले को आगे बढ़ाते हुए शिवानी के कुछ और उपन्यासों का जिक्र करती हूँ।

कालिंदी

शिवानी के उपन्यास ‘कालिंदी’ में मुख्य किरदार डॉ कालिंदी एक आत्मनिर्भर लड़की है, जो जिंदगी में आई मुश्किलात से अकेले ही लड़ती आ रही है, अल्मोड़ा और कुमाऊँ अंचल के दृश्यों से सजा ये उपन्यास जहां कालिंदी जैसे सशक्त किरदार को आधुनिकता की सीढ़ी चढ़ते दिखाता है वहीं अपनी जड़ो के लिए उसके लगाव को भी बखूबी पेश करता है, अपने आत्मसम्मान को ऊपर रखकर कालिंदी जिंदगी के कुछ ऐसे निर्णय लेती है जो उसकी जीवन राहों को ऊबड़-खाबड़ बना जाते हैं, एक लड़की आर्थिक रूप से स्वतंत्र होने पर भी समाज की उन पुरानी मान्यताओं के चलते कितनी विवश होती है, जीवन का यही पहलू दर्शाता नॉवेल है ‘कालिंदी’।

‘कैसा अद्भुत शहर था तब अल्मोड़ा! नवजात शिशु की देह से जैसी मीठी-मीठी खुशबू आती है, वैसी ही देहपरिमल थी उस शहर की। देहरी में गुलाबी धूप उतरते ही दादी कटोरी में गर्म तेल लेकर, दोनों पैर पसार उस पर उसकी नग्न गुलगोथनी पुत्री को लिटा, रगड़-रगड़कर उबटन लगातीं,

अरी अन्ना, दान किए हैं तूने, ऐसी सुन्दरी राजरानी चेहड़ी (लड़की) को जन्म दिया है-ऐनमैन अपनी नानी पर गई है, ऐसा ही दूध का सा उजला रंग था तेरी माँ का, पर तेरे बाप ने इसका नाम कालिंदी क्या देखकर रखा? कालिंदी का जल तो काला होता है, क्यों? और फिर हमारे यहाँ कहते हैं, लड़की का नाम नदी या नक्षत्र पर नहीं रखना चाहिए, कमला रख दे इसका नाम साक्षात कमला ही है।’क्या नाम बदलने से ही लड़की का भाग्य बदल जाता ?”

सुरंगमा  

शिवानी का उपन्यास सुरंगमा उनके अन्य उपन्यासों की ही तरह स्त्री किरदार के दूसरे पहलू की झलक लिए है, किताब की शुरुवात में सुरंगमा को एक मिनिस्टर के घर पर कुछ हिचकिचाहट के साथ खड़ा दिखाते हैं, प्रयोजन है मंत्री की बेटी के लिए ट्यूशन टीचर के तौर पर काम करना, दोनों तरफ से बात न बनते हुए भी बन जाती है, सुरंगमा जो एक बैंक में काम करती है, ये ट्यूशन का काम अपनी आर्थिक स्थिति के चलते करना मंजूर कर लेती है, अपने माता-पिता के आपसी रिश्तों का सुरंगमा के मन पर कुछ ऐसा प्रभाव पड़ता है कि वो ताउम्र विवाह की डोर में ना बंधने का फैसला लेती है लेकिन  मंत्री जी के सामने उसके सारे फैसले जैसे विवश हो जाते हैं, अपने आत्मसम्मान को बनाए रखते हुए वो क्यूँ इस रिश्ते में पड़ती है? अपने पिता की सारी कमियों के वाबजूद वो क्यूँ उनसे नफरत नहीं कर पाती? शिवानी के द्वारा रचा ये किरदार वाकई एक ग्रे शेड लिए है, फिर भी मन में ठहरता है, सुरंगमा से ज्यादा उनकी माँ का जीवन भी कितना विचित्र है, एक शाही परिवार में जन्म लेने के बावजूद जिंदगी भर असहाय बने रहना , अपने से दुगनी उम्र के म्यूजिक ट्यूटर के साथ भाग के शादी करना और फिर वहाँ से भाग कर, एक ईसाई की शरण पाना, जिंदगी कितनी उलझनों भरी होकर भी एक आस साथ लिए चलती है, शिवानी के पात्र यही सीखाते हैं, हार को परे ढकेल,  हम कैसे दोहरा जीवन जीते चले जाते हैं?

“नाम तो आपका बड़ा सुन्दर है मिस जोशी, ऐसे नाम तो पहाड़ियों में कम होते हैं। मैं भी पहाड़ी हूँ, शायद आप जानती होंगी! क्यों?

वह फिर हँसा, उसकी हँसी प्रत्येक बार उसके ग्लान चेहरे पर सौ पावर का बल्ब-सा जला जाती थी। किन्तु पहली हँसी से कितनी भिन्न थी यह दूसरी हँसी! लाल क्लान्त आँखों का घेरा भी उस हँसी ने ऐसे संकुचित कर दिया कि एक पल को सुरंगमा को लगा, उसकी आँख भी हँसी से सवेरे प्रश्न के साथ-साथ कुटिल भंगिमा में मुँद गई है! उसका कलेजा काँप उठा, यह तेज नरपुंगव का था या नरभक्षी का!

‘जी, मेरे पिता पहाड़ी हैं, माँ बंगाली थीं,’कहने के साथ ही उसकी हथेलियाँ पसीने से तर हो गईं। एक माह पूर्व यह प्रश्न पूछा जाता तो उत्तर यह नहीं होता माँ के लिए तब वह क्या भूतकाल का प्रयोग करती? किन्तु माँ होती तो वह इस अवांछित इंटरव्यू के लिए यहाँ आती ही क्यों?

       

श्मशान चम्पा

शिवानी का उपन्यास श्मशान चम्पा, अपने शीर्षक से ही बहुत कुछ कहता है, ये एक मार्मिक कहानी है, मुख्य किरदार चम्पा आत्मविश्वासी होने के बावजूद जिंदगी में अनिश्चय की गांठ नहीं सुलझा पाती, असली जंग पिता की मृत्यु के बाद शुरू होती है, छोटी बहन से मिला झटका उसको तोड़ देता है वो एक एकांत की तलाश में घर से दूर चली जाती है जहां उसे कोई नहीं पहचानता, लेकिन उसका अतीत वहाँ भी उसका पीछा नहीं छोडता, उसकी नियति उसके लिए नित नए शिलाखंड तैयार करती दिखती है, ये एक छोटा उपन्यास है लेकिन कहानी की खूबसूरती इसके आकार से बिलकुल प्रभावित नहीं होती, अंत सुखद न होने के बावजूद शिवानी का ये उपन्यास बेहतरीन है और दिल में जगह बनाता है।

‘क्या देख रही हो ऐसे ममी?’ हँसकर उसने पूछा तो भगवती ने यत्न से ही अपनी सिसकी को रोक लिया था। कैसा अपूर्व रूप था इस लड़की का! न हाथ में चूड़ियाँ, न ललाट पर बिन्दी, बिना किनारे की सफेद लेस लगी साड़ी और दुबली कलाई पर मर्दाना घड़ी, यही तो उसका श्रृंगार था, फिर ही जब यहाँ अपनी पहली नौकरी का कार्यभार सँभालने आई तो स्टेशन पर लेने आए नारायण सेनगुप्त ने हाथ जोड़कर भगवती को ही नई डाक्टरनी समझ सम्बोधित किया था, ‘‘बड़ी कृपा की आपने, इतनी दूर हमारे इस शहर में तो बाहर की कोई डाक्टरनी आने को राज़ी ही नहीं होती थीं। एक दो आईं भी तो टिकी नहीं। पर आपको विश्वास दिलाता हूँ, हम आपको किसी प्रकार का कष्ट नहीं होने देंगे’  

‘डाक्टरनी मैं नहीं हूँ, मेरी पुत्री चंपा आपके अस्पताल का चार्ज लेगी।’हँसकर भगवती ने कहा, तो सेनगुप्त उसकी ओर अविश्वास से देखते ही रह गए थे। यह लड़की क्या उनके उस विराट अस्पताल का भार सँभाल पाएगी? एक-एक दिन में कभी सात-आठ लेबर केसेज़ निबटाने पड़ते थे पिछली डॉक्टरनी को, इससे वहाँ कोई टिकती ही नहीं थी और फिर क्या उस सुन्दरी डॉक्टरनी का मन उसे रूखे शहर में लग सकता था? किन्तु चंपा को तो ऐसे ही जनशून्य एकान्त की कामना थी। उसे वह अपना छोटा-सा बँगला बेहद प्यारा लगा था। छोटे-से अहाते में धरे क्रोटन के गमले, लॉन में बिछी मखमली दूब और एक-दूसरे के गुँथे खड़े दो ताड़ के वृक्षों की सुदीर्घ छाया ! पास में ही दूसरा बँगला था डॉक्टर मिनती घोष का। वही उसकी सहायिका डॉक्टरनी थी। बड़ी-बड़ी आंखें, बड़े-बड़े जूते और विकसित देहयष्टि, उस रोबदार डॉक्टरनी के सम्मुख चंपा और भी बच्ची लगती थी’  

शिवानी की किताबें किसी एडिक्शन जैसी है वहीं मुझे उनकी कहानियों में सिर्फ एक बात खलती है जो शायद उस वक्त में सामान्य मालूम होती होगी, कहानी के किरदारों का शारीरिक वर्णन, अगर स्टीरियोटाईपिंग के उस पहलू को नजरंदाज कर दें तो शिवानी का लिखा एक जादू जैसा है, जिसके मोहपाश से हिन्दी पाठक बच ही नहीं सकता।

Anukrti Upadhyay’s Kintsugi: A Delicacy of Human Bonding

 

Title: Kintsugi
Author: Anukrti Upadhyay
Publisher: HarperCollins
Genre: Fiction, Indian Literature
Pages: 228 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 978-9353579531 

'That night, Leela lingered in Haruko’s room, leafing through her books as Haruko sat in silence, her eyes abstracted. ‘Jiji, what is this?’ She asked pointing at the picture of a terracotta-coloured bowl, deep and shaped like a cupped palm. The bowl had uneven golden lines running all over it.

Haruko glanced at the picture. ‘That’s a broken clay bowl mended with gold.’ Leela’s eyes widened. ‘Isn’t it beautiful? I had tried my hand at the art of Kintsugi in a ceramic class one semester.’

‘Not all vessels are meant to hold water, some are for allowing water to seep away.’ Haruko trailed a finger over the photograph. ‘Broken things are precious too’.

After finished reading Kintsugi by Anukrti Upadhyay, I meditated over each sentence I underlined before. Have you ever felt an urge to decode paragraphs, or just a quaint desire to enter into author’s brain, and catching way of observing images?  Upadhyay’s depth of seeing things turned this novel into breathing tale.

The moment I mentioned above, woven between two main protagonists Haruko and Leela, while one curious mind delves into an ancient art of Japan, the other one helps her to seeking beauty into imperfections.

If you read her previous work Bhaunri, you realize that Upadhyay brings fresh possibilities into storytelling. She has unique voice. Beautiful imagery is her core strength. Along with reflections of ethereal landscapes, she depicts the serenity of trees, animals and mountains.  

Basically, Kintsugi is an art of mending broken objects with gold and lacquer. I loved how Upadhyay takes this Japanese art as a metaphor and weaves interlaced characters around it. Not a single character is heroic yet powerful.

Kintsugi, is the third novel of Anukrti Upadhyay, sets in Japan and Jaipur. With such brilliance she flickers between many characters. She explored their inner world without losing the interest of reader. Isn’t it delightful to have perspective of every character?

I felt sitting in a room with several windows. Each window provides a glimpse of character’s journey and resonated emotions love and despair as well.

Prakash pointed to the tall stacks of crisp honey-colored discs on display in the sweet shops. These are Ghevars ̶ sweets for teej, the rain festival. It is a special festival for women.

Kintsugi begins with a fascinating bond between two strangers, Haruko and Dr. Prakash. Haruko, a Japanese artist, who has devoted her life to her work, ‘It is a great feeling, to be entirely there, focused on a single purpose.’

She comes to India with the aim of learning craft, tradional Jaipuri ornamental work into gold and silver. Meanwhile, an accident brings her to hospital and there she meets Dr. Prakash, they started sharing personal talks, lunchbox along beautiful bond. And then a rainy night changed all the dynamics of their relationship. Haruko is an emotionally balanced person yet it is hard to solve the puzzle of human heart. 

Besides Haruko’s, Kintsugi contains an engrossing journey of Leela. She grew up in an orthodox family of Jaipur.

‘You know  the gaddi must be at rest when day and night come together, No one should touch their tools of trade when the two times meet.’

Her father Madanji, a well known Kundansaaz owns Gaddi (Jeweler Shop) into narrow streets of Jauhari Bazar. Haruko, the Japanese artist works under him only. After meeting with Haruko, Leela realized her passion towards art, she didn’t ignore the calling and eventually absorbed into it. In spite of old beliefs of her family, she wanted to be recognized as Kundansaaz like her father.  

‘She has always been like this when she was a small girl, changing from day to day, always doing as she pleased. One day she would want someone to hold her hand and help her cross the narrow rain water drain in the courtyard, and the next day she would shake her sisters’ hands off and run to the school in the main bazaar on her own.’

She is hard working and knows how to fight for her identity. When society opposes she fiercely deals with it, ‘They think I am only a girl, they don’t see the quality of my work’

I really enjoyed the quirky moments between Leela and her tenant. She doesn’t feel any regret of having desires, and when circumstances changed she doesn’t even think twice before getting rid of it.

‘Is all this so important, Leela? Is it so important to be a sunar?’

‘There is nothing more important,’ she said.

Frankly, It takes courage to write something on Anukrti Upadhyay’s work. In a way I don’t want to spoil beauty, book provides itself. I feel closer to these two characters.

‘Yuri smiled a half smile, her cheeks were flushed. ‘My real mother used to say that mountains are like beautiful strangers -  you desire them but cannot know them.’

‘she used to take me up and down the mountain roads on her bicycle, in a little basket seat, singing songs about their timeless beauty.’

On the other note, the chemistry between Yuri and Meena, touches the depth of human psyche. And After meeting Hajime, She questioned on her life choices.

Anukrti Upadhyay analyzed so many facets of life including Death, Mental illness, cultural differences, loosing of bonds, sense of belonging and alienation. She worked on each emotion with sensitivity.

‘Death bewildering, It is always a jolt when viewed up close, the way it erases things which seemed so permanent and yet leaves other things behind but we must live with death.’

I relished Kintsugi to the core. This gripping novel soothes the soul and gripping as well. I would certainly recommended to it. Show much love to this beauty. 

About Author

Anukrti Upadhyay has post-graduate degrees in Management and Literature, and a graduate degree in Law. She writes in both English and Hindi. She stunned readers and critics alike with the twin novellas Daura and Bhaunri in 2019, and delighted Hindi readers with short story collection Japani Sarai.

 Amazon: Kintsugi by Anukrti Upadhyay

Contact: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Book Review: SLEEPING ON JUPITER by ANURADHA ROY

Source

Title: Sleeping on Jupiter

Author: Anuradha Roy

Publisher: Hachette India

Genre:  Literary Fiction

Pages:  256

Rating:  5/5

The train was just a parcel of people rushing through a landscape they had no connection to.

First thing that attracted me towards the book was The Title “Sleeping on Jupiter” and when it got selected in Booker Prize 2015 Longlist. I found the right reason why should I read it? I hope more readers who love to read sensible literature would have picked Anuradha Roy’s latest work already.

She was a feather on the wings of the kite in that borderless sky.

From the start, story engulfed all my senses at one go. The way Author described every scene was beyond the words… I stopped reading after few pages and explored her name on Google, as I have not read her stuff before and totally astonished by just few pages, on that place author wins, I believe.

Don't you feel like disappearing from your life sometimes?

If we talk about a basic story line, a seven year old girl, named Nomi, witnessed her father’s brutal death and lost her whole family at once. Somehow he placed into an Ashram where she suffered a lot in presence of a sinister Guruji. Roy weaved the parallel characters so well, the three women who were vacationing and clashed with the Girl, Nomi. You might be finding hard to get into his book at first but It took me four days to finish it, meanwhile I feel no shame to confess that I read and reread many sections. Now you can imagine the quality of the literature, actually I wanted to savour every word every emotion steadily. 

I found variations in a single book, Author raises her point about faith, child abuse and homosexuality. Sometimes the poignant tale gave me Goosebumps enveloped with many questions, would  ever be the second gender feel safe in this world and somewhere the boldness of characters, the language of the book enthralled me.  I would say in bold letters, I Read a spellbound book after long time, maybe last was “The House in Smyrna by Tatiana Salem Levy” 

About the Author

Anuradha Roy won the Economist Crossword Prize for Fiction for her novel The Folded Earth, which was nominated for several other prizes including The Man Asia, The D. S. C. and The Hindu Literary Award. Her first novel, An Atlas of Impossible Longing, has been widely translated and was named by World Literature Today as one of the sixty essential books on modern India. She lives in Ranikhet.

Connect with the Author : Facebook | Blog

Affiliate Link (Buy Online) : Sleeping On Jupiter by Anuradha Roy  

Book Review : Rise of Kali - (Ajaya II) by Anand Neelakantan

Title: Rise of Kali - Duryodhana’s Mahabharat (Ajaya Book II)

Author: Anand Neelakantan

Publisher: Leadstart

Genre: Historical Fiction, Hinduism, Religious studies

Pages: 530

Rating: 3.5/5

Intro:

I first introduced with Mahabharata when I was in fourth standard, my parents bought a pocket book which enveloped all the mythological characters, I was dazzled to read the tales of Dhoti-worn superheroes, Chakra-in-fingers, Arjuna’s Concentration was heroic world for me.

And after almost 2 decades I got the opportunity to read Anand Neelakantan’s Creation ‘Ajaya –epic of kaurava clan, Roll of Dice (Book I). And I was stunned to know that stories reside in narrator’s eyes, every perspective matters. It was not just a retelling of Mahabharata but more than that it was a genuine effort to throw the light on the other part where grass was not green but worth watching.

I must say when everyone writes for earn money here, it’s a bold step taken by Mr. Anand Neelakantan to live the experience of writing a epic from a different point of view. Applauses!

Structure:

And after a huge success of Ajaya I, here we blessed with the second part ‘Rise of Kali - Duryodhana’s Mahabharat (Ajaya Book II) by Anand Neelakantan’.

‘Rise of Kali’ begins with quivering scene of ‘Cheer-Haran’ where Draupadi is commanded to be dragged to Sabha on the day when her ‘Dharma-Rakshak’ husbands had lost her in a dice-game play.

“Draupadi forgot to breathe when she heard heavy footsteps hurrying up the stairs.  They were coming for her, her heart thudding in her chest as fear crept insidiously up her body from her toes.” 

Crisp Narration:

As story unfolds with a gripping chapter, you almost forget when to stop. Author’s narration was crisp and upright. I loved the way Author captured scene and makes it alive. The characters converse to each other with clarity, you don’t have indulged in said-asked theory, conversation flows at ease, and that’s great achievement for a quality writer.

Core:

 At some point Mr. Anand raised questions at hypocrisy of society. He simplified the fact ‘we all are human. We are allowed to make mistakes.’ A radical part is — Author created a great corner for Shakuni’s course of story and It will make you wreak when you read Karna’s part how did he got mistreated, here author strikes hard utterance at caste system. The disagreement between Krishna and Samba was catchy. Without being biased, author gave a fair chance and brilliant voice to the myriads of characters.

How could you imagine Mahabharata- The Epic Tale ruled by just victors, it is tale of Kaurava’s clan too as much as Pandava’s.  Author considered each and every character as king/ prince, even Krishna. God? Let it be. If you usually read book with open mind then you would love it to the core. Must hide the back up of Mahabharata from the mind, for a while and give it a chance.

Reader’s Moment:

It is just impossible task to consolidate whole Mahabharata into a single post so here I’m sharing with you, the remarkable parts I loved the most, the impressive lines stirred my soul. 

“Ashwathama touched his father’s feet “Bless me father, I m going to Gandhara“  he said in his mind. Surely his father say something to him bless him and wish him success? Would he have behaved this way if he was Arjuna?”

“The world went on, not caring a damn about, who died and who lived, who was shamed and who was honoured?”

“Balarama did not want to stand there and listen to his brother (Krishna) and his commander argued over the rights and wrongs of the war. All war was wrong. For a child who had lost his father, what did it matter whether they had won or lost?”

“Shakuni began to laugh “Spare your breathe Aswathama. The dice has just started to roll. The game is not over. Not yet, not so quickly, no so easily.”

“The Gandharans lived in a moment, without bothering about the afterlife or the eternal soul.  For them there was no Moksha, Sanyas or Brahmacharya. There were no seekers or philosophers in their midst, life was now.”

“Karna, the path you have chosen is the wrong one “ Parashurama whispered

‘He was the only one who supported me when the whole world was making fun of Suta who dared to dream of being a warrior.’ Karna wanted to say but words were trapped in her throat.”

‘You can earn respects in two ways by force or by deeds. The choice is yours. Either way, you will be remembered.’

‘Was a handful of earth worth fighting a war over? Was the throne worth it? All that grand talk about Dharma, all the speculation about soul, karma, hell, heaven and rebirth— it all sounded hollow.’

‘Nevertheless, Shakuni folded his hands in seeming gratitude as Suyodhana came up to him” forgive your uncle Suyodhana. I have always had your welfare in mind. I want you to sit on the throne of Hastinapura. I won the kingdom for you in the dice game and you repay me by sending your armies to ravish my land. Is that fair?’

“Divisions are natural. The duties prescribed for Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras are all different.

Krishna, there lies a problem. Who decides what one’s duty?

The scriptures are authority to determine what one should do.

The scriptures are for man not the other way around. Krishna you speak of arbitrary division, unnatural ones.”

"Brother, a man’s concern should be about his karma, not the fruits of his action.

Where can you find such a person, Krishna? How will I recognize someone with such a steady mind how does such an unusual person sit, speak, and move? Balarama asked.

Just as tortoise withdraws its limbs and becomes strong. A man also gains strength when he withdraws from desire and steadies his mind in contemplation.

Krishna if you have reached that much desired state, why does it matter to you whether Yudhishtra wins the war or Duryodhana?  Why not keep you mind steady in contemplation instead?”

—     Conversation between Balarama and Krishna.

“CASTE CASTE CASTE‘   Karna kicked a stone into the water. His toe hurt but it was nothing compared to what he felt inside.

He had everything— caste, lineage, and fame he even had the woman Karna had once loved deeply. Draupadi , why do I still yearn for you ? He thought in agony. Could a Suta even lift his eyes to such a woman? 

Do not tell me that caste is based only on character and not on birth. I am tired of that excuse. All the high-castes parrot it but I can no longer accept their smug smiles and platitudes, as though their high status was the result of their exalted character and not a mere accident of birth. To them it is just a philosophy but to us at the bottom, it is life.”

Was Draupadi perhaps the greatest victim in the Mahabharata? Draupadi, like many other women and children, was also a victim of the war. All the women of Mahabharata are victims, trampled by a masculine world. Gandhari who lost all her sons, Kunti who lost all her grandsons and a son, Draupadi who lost all her sons, the Nishada woman who lost her life and all her sons, Hidumbi who lost her son, Uthara who lost her husband, Bhanumathi who lost both her husband and son- the list is endless. There is no justification in singling out Draupadi. 

- A part Taken from Anand Neelakantan's Interview (Souce)

Overall, It is an Insightful Read, Highly Recommended. Go for it!

Cover Page by Kunal Kundu would provoke you to get your copy at once.

And Great Thanks to Platinum Press and Leadstart Publishing for the quality of book, large fonts make it easy to read.   

About the Author:

A dexterous writer and a cartoonist, Anand Neelkanthan started his career in writing with Asura: Tale of The Vanquished. His books have had big hits in the market and he has been named as one of the most popular writers in India. Ajaya: Book 1: Roll of The Dice (Epic of The Kaurava Clan) has not been an exception. Being brought up in a place full of temples and classical artists, Neelkanthan was interested in epics and myths from his childhood. Instead of blindly following the myths, he has created a new genre, of remaking and retelling, questioning and arguing. That is why he has become favourite to modern readers.

Follow Mr. Anand On Twitter –  @anand_neel

Follow Mr. Anand On Facebook – Anand.Neelakantan

Mr. Anand can be reached at: mail@asura.co.in

Affiliate Link (Buy Online) – Rise-Kali-Duryodhanas-Mahabharat

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Book Review : Scion of Ikshvaku by Amish Tripathi

Title - Scion of Ikshvaku (Ram Chandra Series)

Author- Amish Tripathi

Publication – Westland Ltd.

Genre – Indian Literature, Mythology, Philosophy

Source- Kindle Edition

Pages- 274

Rating – 5/5

The Shekhar Kapur has mentioned ‘Amish is India’s first literary popstar.’

So, I believed his words and picked up Scion of Ikshvaku by Amish Tripathi . I heard a lot about his previous books but mythology was not my cup of tea and after reading Ikshvaku, I forgot what the celebrities said about Amish’s work. I will read Amish because no one can re-tell mythology better than him and Shiva Trilogy will be in my Top Priority list now.   

Ramayana is not a new subject to read, and then the question aroused ‘Will Amish’s Version of Ramayana series able to surprise us?’ I already had gone through with Ramayana by C. Rajagopalachari as compulsory subject but Scion of Ikshvaku is quite enthralling, author didn’t dragged the old plethora of customs but rejuvenated a sun lit side of Ramayana staying with the same characters. I couldn’t believe I was reading some mythology. Ramayana was never that much interesting before.

“A leader is not just one who gives his people what they want. He must also be the one who teaches his people to be better than they imagined themselves to be.” 

I’m not going to kill the charm of incredible work of Amish by summarizing it but I eagerly want to share few facts that provoke you to put your hands on this beautiful book because good books deserve to be read.

Ram was ostracized by his father, Raja Dashrath just because on the same day prince ram was born; Dasrath lost his battle against Raavan and never recovered again.

‘Lying may bring one into a position of authority, which in turn may result in an opportunity to do good. Would you still advocate not lying? It may well be said that a true leader loves his people more than he loves his own soul.’

Sita was not a Touch-me-not kind of princess but the prime minister of Mithila and a very storng woman who totally devoted towards Dharma (The Different between good and evil) as sincere as Lord Ram. And when Sita revealed to Ram that she was adopted then he replied

‘Birth is completely unimportant. It is just a means of entry into this world of action, into this karmabhoomi. Karma is all that matters. And your karma is divine.’

And the part that surprised me that Kekeyi’s Kop-Bhawan-Scene was not the sole reason behind Ram’s Exile but indirectly she helped in taking a decision.

‘Sometimes truth causes pain and suffering. Such times, silence is preferred.’

Yes! That was self- imposed exile that was given by ram to himself as penance because he had used ‘Asuraastra’ the biological weapon while battling with Raavan to decapitate his power and put his army into obvilion. And according to laws, anything that causes mass destruction was banned at that time.

The most beautiful part of the book Ram-Sita’s first meeting, you can fall in love with love when you read it.

‘Two souls that were dependent on each other giving each other purpose, two halves of a whole.’

Author tried to add few social issues as Nibharya Delhi Case by creating a new character ‘Roshini’ The daughter of Manthara, that was something new, inspite of rapist’s minor age he could not get rid of his karma. Overall it’s a MUST READ, no matter you like mythology or not, after giving it a start, you won’t able to put down this unorthodox still epic Ramayana .

‘Ram mused: How unworthy are we, the descendants of these great ancestors. Maharishikas Gargi and Maitreyi were rishikas, and today there are fools who claim that women are not to be allowed to study the scriptures or to write new ones. Maharishi Satyakam was the son of a Shudra single mother. His profound knowledge and wisdom is recorded in our greatest Upanishads; and today there are bigots who claim that the Shudra-born cannot become rishis.’

About an Author-

Amish Tripathi is IIM-graduate and worked for 14 years in the financial serving (Boring) but he got fame because of his art of storytelling and that makes him unique. According to a magazine he translated bare facts into delicious stories.  His Shiva Trilogy doesn’t need any Introduction; his classic work speaks for itself.

Book Cover Design by Think WhyNot

Links lead you to author 

Follow Amish on Twitter –  @authoramish

Twitter handle of –  @WestlandBooks

P.s. - Eagerly waiting for the next part of Amish’s Ramayana series!