My Books

34 Bubblegums and Candies was my first book which is a non fiction book and is a collection of 34 real life incidents. It was very well received and it went on to make it to the National bestseller list.

My second book is a full length fiction set in the eighties in India.

Apart from the above books, a few writings of mine have been published in a book titled ‘Woman’ which is a collection of writings from prominent writers that include Khushwant Singh and Taslima Nasreen. Some of my writings have also appeared in ‘Chicken soup for the soul’ series. Following is the preface and back cover blurb of 34 Bubblegums and Candies.

Preface

It is only in fairytales that there are happy endings and the Hero always wins. Real life is rarely like that. It is mostly imperfect. There are times when some things happen that are so embarrassing that you wish you had the powers to escape like Houdini or you could change things with the flip of a switch like changing channels when you don’t like a TV programme. No such luck. You just have to grin and bear it. But the good thing is that no matter what it is, it always ends. Just like candies that melt and fade and the bubblegum that you spit out when you are done with it.

When I mentioned the title of this book to a friend he said, “Sounds interesting. Really interesting—but why Candies and Bubblegums?”

“Because, there are incidents that make you ponder and make you want to think and may be re-think. Like chewing a bubble gum. Then there are others, spiked with doses of humour that make you laugh and leave you a feel-good sensation. Just like eating a candy.” I explained.

He liked that.

Most of the incidents described in this book happened to me, and some of them to my friends. You may even relate to some of the incidents yourself and see yourself in some of them!

They just demonstrate that no matter how bad a day you have had and no matter how hopeless the situation that you are in looks right now, things always change. Always. It is just a matter of time.

If you think you have had a bad day, just delve into the candy jar. And if you are in a mood to muse and ponder, help yourself to a bubblegum. I have collected 18 candies and 16 Bubblegums from my life, in this book. But, what is a candy to me, might be a bubble gum to you. It is for you to decide which is what---and we all know how deceptive it can be. Just like those sweet colourful balls that seem like a candy but when you bite and chew, they surprisingly turn into a bubblegum. Or that Bubblegum which suddenly has sweetness oozing out from it’s centre again, just when you thought that the juicy bit was over.

Each morning when you open your eyes you are gifted 86,400 seconds to make a difference. And that by itself is worth celebrating!

Back Cover

Life is a bit like bubblegum and candies. Sometimes you have to keep on chewing so that you extract whatever you can out of it. Sometimes the bubble you blow bursts unexpectedly and you are left with a sticky mess. Sometimes you just have to lick it slowly and relish it. Sometimes you have to bite it to savour it. Sometimes you greedily bite off more than you can chew. Sometimes a hard boiled sugar candy slips down inadvertently and you bear the pain as it makes its way down the food pipe. At rare times when you manage to strike just the right balance, a feeling of contentment reigns supreme. Life does not come with an instruction manual, but you can still convert it to a ‘Do it yourself’ kit! It throws you surprises. At times it trips you and you figure out that the best way to deal with it, is to just lie there and laugh, before bouncing right back.

34 Bubblegums and Candies is a collection of 34 real life incidents. These could happen to anybody and you will probably recognize yourself in them. Some are humorous, some moving, some thought provoking but each one brings out the trials and tribulations of a successful journey called life. 34 bubble gums and candies is one book that will tempt you, making you want to taste it, chew it, relish it. So what are you going to pick today---a bubblegum or a candy?