User:Loknathswain/sandbox

I.R.Shankar, born and raised in India, came to the United States. He is an Electronics and Communication Engineer by training and a Software Consultant by profession. He has a passion for writing novels. He is the author of the semi-autobiographical novel titled ‘An Adolescent Mind’. True Colors of Love is his second book, a psychological novella for the lover of fiction.

After the success of his two books, he opened doors to the digital world. His E-books are available to all the readers on Flipkart, Amazon and the Kindle version for the Indian Market. The E-book is priced at $5.00 for the Indian Consumer.

His 1st novel, ‘An Adolescent Mind’ deals with the transitional age of shock and drama. It’s the story of a young Indian boy stepping into adulthood with all the fears, faux pas, and embarrassing situations. His curiosity has to be satiated through means he had never imagined before. He is caught in between tradition and modernity the trap the Indian society binds itself today. His 2nd novel, ‘True Colors of Love’ is a unique work of fiction. It is written in a ‘second person narrative’ which is rarely found in fiction. Also the subject matter and thematic content is controversial. TCL is about a young man romancing and fantasizing a thirteen year old girl and recounting of his obsessions and insecurities. At another level it is also a clash between romanticism and rationalism. The hero refuses to be practical and clings to his romantic ideals and eventually at the end of the story realizes that he is an enlightened romantic.

True Colors of Love Big text

Synopsis: This is the love story of a young man. It is a recounting of his obsessions and insecurities. At another level it is also a clash between romanticism and rationalism. The hero refuses to be practical and clings to his romantic ideals and eventually at the end of the story realizes that he is an enlightened romantic. The story begins when the writer hears a voice. The inner voice castigates him and then begins a tale. It is a flashback. The protagonist is an orphan. He is forced to live with his grandfather, who lives along with his aunt and her son. The grandfather is an ardent rationalist. Both of them clash with each other and there is tension between them in their very first meeting. They have an argument, philosophical in nature. Each sticks to his own beliefs. The hero has no friends and is lonely throughout his life. Several times in the story he is subjected to abuse due to his bastard origins. He falls in love with his cousin (Rose) while staying with his grandfather. This is not liked and soon he is sent to boarding school. He is forced to pursue a study in Logic and Reason although he has a love for the arts and the humanities. Subsequently he earns a bachelors degree in Engineering. During this phase he pines to become an artist. He dabbles in painting and becomes an impressionist. Later he asserts to become a writer. All his life he waits for the cousin’s return. He proposes on her arrival. Despite his best efforts he is rejected. In that state of unhappiness he meets his grandfather. They argue with each other. The grandfather has his own interpretation of the events that led to it. The young man refuses to believe it. Then there is a psychological moment of truth that he experiences. At this stage when he is alone the voice introduces itself and gives the final explanation of the causes of his love and motivations. Finally, the hero discloses his thoughts to the reader.

An Adolescent Mind Big text

Synopsis: This is the story of an orphan who is brought up by his grandfather, a retired military man (Colonel). It is about their relationship. The grandfather smokes pipe and gulps rum all the time and does not pay much attention to his grandson. Though he plays the role of a guardian to the hero right from the day he is born the relationship between them is not cordial. He was never happy with the marriage of his daughter. The grandfather can be very churlish and is a misanthrope. In his childhood the protagonist forms an attacking almost rebellious attitude towards the adults and seems to mock the acts of adults. In one instance he reacts by questioning their catechism. His formative years are an attack on the adult. As a student the hero is indifferent to academics. He find his school life boring and continues to be a loner and is essentially friendless. The Grandfather subsequently hires an English and a Mathematics tutor who are his only source of society in his ancestral home. The English tutor is a Sardarjee who loves all the good things in life, be it food , wine or women. The Mathematics tutor is a tall man who reminds the hero of Sherlock Homes. He has his own set of eccentricities. Both tutors love the protagonist but despise each other. During this period the hero reads several books. The Sardar is known to make fun of Sherlock at sight. There are several instances of humorous occasions involving both these gentlemen. During puberty he reads stories of musketeers. He begins to think that when he grows up his life would be an adventure and he would be a charming hero. He has this vain idea of becoming a musketeer. He begins to watch adult films and is seduced by an unchaste woman who screams “rape” as soon as they are discovered. In the meanwhile the protagonist completes high school and now joins Loyola College where he befriends a Roman Catholic Christian Rudyaard who is a brilliant student. They become good friends and participate in a play. A Chemistry professor takes notice of them. He invites them for dinner at his home. He possess a very pretty daughter. Both young men fall in love with the same girl. The father schemes to ensure that Rudyaard falls in love with her. The hero dreams of a sexual act with the beautiful Mary where he is a musketeer, a heroic warrior in inform. However, by the end of the term Rudyaard begins to lose interest in studies while the protagonist improves his. Soon there is a situation where the Father and the daughter now attempt to seduce the hero and begin to ignore Rudyaard altogether. The hero is wise enough to remind his friend that it is a scheme and departs to seek his fortune in the world. Upon his return his grandfather continues to avoid him. The hero begins to feel insecure about his future. At that point his mathematics tutor arrives and invites him to meet his sons. There are episodes where the hero brings about the marriage of Mehnaaz, the daughter of the Sardar with one of the sons of Sherlock. He also makes a new friend namely Khan Saab. Khan Saab is an editor of a loss making news paper. The hero takes over the reins and soon becomes an Assistant editor. As a journalist he is much talked about for his attacking prose and soon forms enemies who are politicians. He continues to follow his ideals and fulfills his duties. There are picaresque adventures when he travels along with Khan Saab and his tutors to Agra and Delhi. Here is exposed the decline of ethics in Print Media. The hero’s search for love continues. He now meets Anjali, another beautiful woman. He tries to woo her. In order to win her heart he participates in a Chess tournament. His attempts to impress her are frustrated. He is almost humiliated by her. There is also a satisfaction for him that his opponent is none other than the Colonel. He now dreams of revenge. The Colonel makes a sacrifice and loses the tournament on purpose. The grandson is overwhelmed with emotion. They both unite for the first time. The hero is in much pain. His search for sensual relief continues. He has an affair with a tailor’s daughter. Here again he is seduced and manipulated by the vulgar lass. It is a cycle. The hero has failed time and again in search of love. His repeated failure in seeking love of some form finally snowballs into a situation when he attempts to seduce his maidservant. The maidservant encourages his to sleep with her. It is only after the final consummation of the sexual act in reality that he begins to feel moral guilt for the first time. It is now that he realizes he has himself become an adult. A déjà vu when in his childhood and youthful years he had scoffed at them. The grandfather is now getting old. In his failing health he informs the grandson that there is a family guru. A thread ceremony is performed which not only liberates the hero from an algae like noxious air but also gives him direction. “The quest for knowledge should be like the light of the sun”.