Author: Ajay Khullar
Genre: Fiction, Short stories
Number of Pages: 296
Publisher: Browser
Edition: Kindle
The Review
It’s rarely one comes across a book when the book is more than just a book but a peek into the person’s life, their mind, their overall psyche. And not just that, it holds within its grasp the power to move one beyond imagination. ‘Ekarat’ is one such gem that lies hidden conveniently in this age when the overhyped fiction is most sought after but those really worth anything painfully ignored.
“Ekarat: Stories He Left Behind” by Ajay Khullar is a self-introspective journey through a collection of novellas, short stories, poems and essays left behind by loved ones. Khullar, known as Ekarat, is a ‘phoenix’ writer who revealed the hidden truths behind life’s alluring façades through bold narratives. His was incisive in sharing this intricate world where people are not what they seem, dreams and desires are are not so sublime, and life not the fairy-tale it seems.
One day the sun will shine on you so bright, life will offer an open door, and funnily many men would have grown so used to the darkness – that they would react by covering their eyes. When they open them again, the light is gone.
These stories are brimming with melancholia that makes the heart melt at every turn. Every story leaves you pining for the characters and rooting for their tragic fate. The candid prose, unmasked words, the bold candor give a peek into the reader’s mind and understand the real character- the writer – and his trials and tribulations better. It’s a dark alley one walks down with him not knowing if there is light at the end of the tunnel. What does soothe the chilling soul through the journey are his evocative words, the turn of phrases, and construct that outshine the prodigy he was.
The only eyes that matter are the ones that meet you in the mirror.
Drawing from travel journalism, Khullar’s vivid descriptions transport readers, reflecting his Punjabi roots, his troubled childhood, his loneliness, the fight with his illness, etc. Notable pieces include ‘Dancing in the Dark’, ’37’, and ‘Harry Vs the Mountains.’ Each of these pieces give away more than the author intended to and in this way help readers cherish and admire the hero he was in having shared the darkest parts of his existence and how he made it through.
Darkness is not an enemy. I have never been afraid of the night or its creatures. Though born on the sunny side of life, I have always believed that I belonged to the night. The night is honest. Lusty. Drunk. Decadent. The night is fear. Meditation. A lovely dream. A nightmare from which you cannot open your eyes.
This book reflects author’s most intimate thoughts, his relationship with his father, his battles with his illness, his hopes, his dreams, and everything that makes us humans humans. The instances discussed in the course of the stories or poems have the power to leave the readers gasping for breath for such a beautiful delicate design his writing takes that is so rare yet wrenching. You will put the book down more than once before you pick it up again because you will be living the author’s life through his words and will need bouts of break to let it all sink in.
Final Verdict
Published posthumously, ‘Ekarat’ is a father’s attempt at immortalizing his son and his works, and ensuring he was remembered for the young, bold, ambitious, and lively man he was. This book is part fiction, part memoir, and one you will never forget.
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About the Author:
Ajay Khullar (1978-2021), who took on the nom de plume ‘Ekarat’, was born into a Punjabi army family in Chandigarh. An alumnus of Lawrence School, Sanawar; Lovedale and Vivek High School, Chandigarh, he did his Bachelor of Arts in English from DAV College, Chandigarh, and a diploma in Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IMC), New Delhi, in 2001. A travel journalist, he was the editor of Discover India magazine from 2014 to 2018. He published two volumes of stories during his lifetime, Nothing Man and A Book of Love.
Have you read ‘Ekarat’? Do share your thoughts below.
P.S.: I received a review copy from the author, but the review remains unbiased.
