Description
By Sumeet S. Navalkar
ISBN: 978-1-84747-849-8
Published: 2009
Pages: 149
Key Themes: short stories, philosophy, fantasy, science
Description
‘Spectrum’ is a book that includes short stories with mostly positive attitude towards life. The bases of themes of the author’s stories include fantasy, science, philosophy, psychology and reality interwoven with poetry, or all of them blended together. He has tried to include all aspects of human life in his stories- the ‘spectrum’ of human imagination.
About the Author
After his girlfriend passed away in 2001, Sumeet who was 23 at the time, experienced depression for about three to four years, and tried to convince himself that the loss was just a dream. Later when he started accepting the facts, he thought of molding his mind into the cast of Spirituality. But those were only passing thoughts. Sumeet’s perpetual love for science, and the logical understanding of nature that he had been used to from his childhood, kept him in the rational hemisphere of the world. He started writing poetry which served as an outlet for his pent-up sorrow, and then he switched over to short stories, themes of those ranging from fantasy to science fiction.
Book Extract
Reality haunts us wherever we go. So just relax and sit back, because dreams also follow us like shadows. The taut muscles are where tension coagulates. So just relax those muscles. Feel the smoothness of a feather passing through your hair. A beautiful and cute child-ghost, like the famous one from Hollywood, forms in front of your eyes even while you read this text. The plump and chubby ghost looks so sweet. He is white and colourless, but he appears colourful from the background that makes him. He floats there in front of you in mid-air. And he plays with you. The charming innocence is what catches your attention, and you also become a small child in his presence and play with him. He has the face that you want in your child, and yet in his presence you want yourself to become a child, making him care for you like your parent. He pulls out his hand and touches your face. He tugs on your cheeks lovingly, till they curve into a smile. He messes with your hair and yet you like that. Because you want to be free from the inhibitions that this world has imposed on you. You don’t worry about how naughty or unkempt you yourself look, but instead enjoy his company. You have just started loving his presence and wish him to be with you. He pulls at your nose mischievously yet gently. And giggles in a child-like voice while he does that. And with one last smile, he vanishes………..
You look around and you feel alone without him. Reality again transforms you into a rigid human being. A hard coat of maturity resides on your face, yet secretly hides the child in you that craves for capers and mischief and happiness that are without the touch of the materialistic satisfaction. When you can’t do it, you dream about it. Dreeeeeeeaam. Dream about anything that does not include reality in it. Dream about someone who can care for you and for whom you would like to care. The fantasy brings with it a satisfaction even when somewhere in your mind you know that reality might be quite different. Though you keep reality away from these premises of your thought, this helium-filled balloon of fantasy has a thin thread that attaches itself to the ground or the Earth. In fact, the fantasy is built upon a reality. When a small needle of reality punctures this balloon, it bursts and brings us toppling back away from these beautiful dreams into the world which jostles us even as we try to walk.
Up there, a dream still floats buoyant with your imagination. Every minute that you get free from your daily chores, your mind likes to wander towards this dream and away from reality. The dream – a person, or may be a fact that you would like to change. Just thinking about your past, you may feel that if something – a small factor – would have changed, you would been in a better position to ride on your thoughts. Then a not-so-real thought about travelling in time and changing that factor may come to your mind, making you wish for a time-machine, and here a new dream buoys up from the plethora of your imagination. This dream is secondary, may be just a necessity to make your first dream transform into a reality. But this dream also carries with it a device that is quite capable of conjuring up a new tertiary dream and the process continuesssss………..
It was my dream to decorate a paper, but not with scent or decorative borders or coloured ink; but to adorn it with words. Words, which can make you taste the presence of a small cosy soft fluffy cloud representing your dream. If you were successful in making a date with that cloud (even if that date lasted just for a moment, may be just a penetration of such a thought in your mind), I would feel that my dream had come true. What is important is the satisfaction of at least seeing that dream (even if momentarily). It is a wonderful experience in itself.
Think now, just for the sake of it. Which face or person you would have liked to see in place of that ghost?
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