From R Kailasham:
Dear Readers and Well-wishers: my e-book is out, and here is my announcement as promised.
This book is a collection of short stories centred around conversations between strangers. In these imaginary conversations between fictitious characters, I explore how a dialogue stripped of “small talk” might look like. Borrowing the dictum that people open up easily under conditions of anonymity, each of these dialogues are based on the assumption that people also tend to open up to strangers when they know that they would never meet them again. Several of these characters, however, run into each other’s paths again after their initial chance encounters, by which time they are strangers no more, having already shared a deep and meaningful conversation.
Link: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B09QHC85T2
Looking forward to hearing your feedback/ comments/ suggestions.
Endrum Anbudan.
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EXCERPT: Highlighted in blue font below is a small excerpt from one of the stories, “Hail Me”, which is a conversation between a part-time cab driver, and a ride-hailer who doesn’t want to use the service after having ordered the cab.
‘Wretched are the inquisitive, for they suffer too often’, I surprised myself with this moment of highbrow witticism.
She cracked a wry smile and responded, as to a tennis serve, ‘Damned are the uninquisitive, for they suffer too late’.
‘Haha. Well said.’
‘Haha.’
Amidst the laughter, her last line lingered in my thoughts for a minute longer than I’d have liked it to. Then I brushed it away.
‘Take it easy, Meena. It’s been fun chatting. I must get going now. Shall I drop you off where you need to go?’
‘No, that’s alright. I live close by.’
She walked away first. I seemed to have lost a spring in my step. Just a little bit slower, just a little bit more contemplative, as I ambled up to my car and slumped on the seat.
The mood didn’t last too long. Jass pinged to check on me. He was nearby. I spurred the vehicle on to meet him. Despite returning home at 3 AM that night, I jotted down that night’s encounter. Life will be back to normal from tomorrow.
‘Livin’ the dream, Ash’, I half-questioned, half-cheered my reflection on the mirror before I turned the lights off. Where will Meena go? What will she do? I hope she does OK.
Baradwaj Rangan 
brangan
January 15, 2022
Congratulations Kailasham. Do you want to send an excerpt that I can put up here?
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R. Kailasham
January 15, 2022
Thank you very much, Baddy Sir, for featuring the book release announcement as a separate post in itself 🙂
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Madan
January 15, 2022
Congrats Kailasham, nice excerpt too!
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Voldemort
January 15, 2022
Congratulations and best wishes Kailasham! Interesting excerpt, except, wished it were a little longer.
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GM
January 15, 2022
Thanks for writing it. Ordered the paper copy version. Happy New Year to all.
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R. Kailasham
January 15, 2022
Thank you, Madan 🙂
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Yajiv
January 17, 2022
Great stuff! Really liked the excerpt too. Will check the book out on Amazon.
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R. Kailasham
January 17, 2022
Thank you, Yajiv, GM, and Voldemort for your wishes. The book is a short-story collection, and most of these stories are conversations without an end goal. I was not sure how much to put out as an excerpt. I am glad you wished the excerpt were longer. Hope you enjoy reading the book, and feel free to spread the word if you did. 🙂
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Deepika
April 10, 2022
I am becoming your fan. I want to buy the book, but am a little uncomfortable with the langauge you speak in this excerpt in comparison to how you write in BRs blog. Hope you write more informal letters with conversational English..
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R. Kailasham
April 11, 2022
Hi. It is always nice to hear which aspects of my writing appeals to readers. As you could see from some of the comments above, the Dark Lord liked the excerpt and wished it were longer. One reader from another discussion thread liked the “Three Karthiks and a cricket ground” story and really wanted to know what happens to Vasanth and Aarti after they bid goodbye at the end of it.
The book is a collection of twenty stories, written over a period of eight years, and it is probable that some of them might read like what I write on this site. Then again, it is probable that they do not. Who knows? Could be worth a shot 🙂
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