A tale of two lives set in the backdrop of a monumental tragedy. A manager and a thief find themselves all alone amidst the aftermath of floods in Kedarnath. With their conversation, unfolds the story of two faces of modern India. The story of how they survive the journey runs parallel to the story of their lives.
A story that vividly describes the destruction wrought by the floods as well as the dark past of the characters.
Pawan Kumar Pandey was born in a humble family in Bareilly, India. He belongs to the small town of Bageshwar, which is nestled among lesser Himalayas, in the State of Uttarakhand. Trained in Electronics Engineering and working in a government department, his heart lies in writing. His has wide interests ranging from History to Historical fantasy and Politics to Science Fiction. He likes to eat,sleep,write,read and to make friends.
I have just finished the novella, so wonderfully put together by the author, I must complement him. As the catastrophe unfolds through the lines, I feel my imagination is getting transported, almost naturally as if I am witnessing with my own eyes, the deaths; the gore and the whole narration of human suffering even as I am barely reading through the lines. Such is the vividness of the narration. The outlines of personality and the inner traits of the characters are sketched most organically, and one can almost unwittingly relate to them, so much so as to swap positions. Amid the horrors of a catastrophe, it’s great to observe people coming together, offering help, and fighting against all odds to afford themselves a chance to survive. The fear of death surely brings out the best in human beings, but it may also bring out the worst. People leaving behind their dead, people looking at ‘suffering’ others with indifference at a time; when they might need the best of their help are a few examples. This dichotomy of human thought and action, in such trying conditions is beautifully brought forth. From the uneven turf of a natural catastrophe, a life and death situation, how easily the focus of human mind may shift to things so full of life as memoirs and vivid experiences; the moment they find a trustworthy companion in whom they can confide their darkest secrets is almost incredibly amazing. Things they may otherwise not share with best of friends are given away with absolutely no qualms. The author has accentuated this through the vivid chemistry between the prime characters. The details are all in place, I could scarce find an instance where there was a void in meaning; owing its origins to the want of detail, and where omissions are deliberately made; the imagination of the reader is trusted to do its job. It makes for a smooth read. Great job!!!!!!
A story travelling through the mountains, portraying the destruction the floods in Uttrakhand brought- moves you, shakes your inside. Author's way of expressing the Betrayal, Love, Hatred, Revenge and Repentance is appreciable. All the emotions expressed in 47 odd pages, Hats off to the literary skills! All the best for the book. I am proud of you.
A Long Journey “A Long Journey” by Pawankumar Pandey is a novella, which revolves around the disaster of Kedarnath floods. It starts with description of the main character, whose main intention is trading, not a pilgrimage. With the progress in novel, disaster occurs and it continues with its aftereffects. Though author has tried his best, he lacks at some juncture in novel, He does not seem concentrating on one theme of the novel, which seems little bit disappointing. Title does not justify the theme of novel, as the characters do not seem to have any lesson learnt from their life, as apart from one or two crisis of their life they seem to be accepting life as it is. Theme also keeps changing, as writer has not concentrated on one particular theme, he could make it perfect by expanding the characters and theme more vividly. He seemed to finish it as soon as possible. As soon as the reader starts feeling the character’s pain, the novella ends. The basic concept of novella is not fulfilled here as there isn’t any kind of development in characters and emotions. Pawankumar has tried his best and in future he may produce more prolific works.