Two Mirrors at the Ashram

by Shiv K. Kumar

In a secluded ashram in Mullagarhi, arrives Rajesh Sahni - novelist, habitual drinker, womanizer and atheist - in search of characters for his next book. Incapable of believing in the promise of salvation, and contemptuous of godmen, whom he often portrays as rogues and villains in his stories, Rajesh treats his experience in the ashram with scepticism. He flouts all the rules, celebrating temptation and indulging in every worldly desire that he is expected to forsake. Till an unexpected confession by the Swami changes his perceptions. Rajesh becomes the Swami's most trusted disciple, his fellow-traveller on the road to self-discovery. Moving from the isolation of Mullagarhi to the exhilaration of London, Chicago and then Norman, he sheds his scepticism and opens himself to new experiences, meeting a myriad of people, each of whom helps him understand yet another aspect of his personality. The end of Rajesh's journey, however, is merely the beginning of his quest for inner peace and tranquillity. "Two Mirrors at the Ashram" explores the nature of desire, violence and faith in a world where human relationships are slowly but surely disintegrating.

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Shiv K. Kumar--poet, novelist, short-story writer, playwright, translator and critic--was born in Lahore. He holds a doctorate in English from the University of Cambridge. He has received many awards for his literary achievements. In 1978, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (London), and in 2001 he was awarded Padma Bhushan in recognition of his eminence as a writer. In 1988, he received the Sahitya Akademi award for his collection of poems Trapfalls in the Sky which has been translated into Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada. Shiv K. Kumar has published seven collections of poems, five novels, two collections of short stories, a play and several books of literary criticism. He has translated some works of Faiz Ahmed Faiz into English. He has also written his own version of The Mahabharata which is scheduled for publication shortly. Shiv K. Kumar has traveled widely as a Visiting Professor of English at the universities of Northern Iowa, Drake, Marshall and Cambridge.

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a random library find. Wandering about the "new" section, the title of this book intrigued me, as did the description on the back. It's well written, and I intend to read some of the authors other books. That said, I feel like this book treaded the surface of where it could have gone.

The back cover describes an intimate journey with much depth, and I found that the book did not explore a level beyond that of what is presented in the summary.

Still, at just over 200 pages, it's a quick read and I did enjoy the story. I was also introduced to Urdu verses, which I'm interested to discover more of.

"Dil se jo baat nikalti hai -- asar rakhti hai"
- "anything that springs directly from the heart, always carries conviction."

The book wasn't bound very well, sadly. It's a new library book, I've handled it carefully, but the threading is unraveling.