The Best Seller: Professor Lal

The Best Seller: Professor Lal:

This book is dedicated to Professor Lal - the lotus that remained unperturbed in the midst of mounds of slush pile.

Just a few weeks before the final publication, he passed away, leaving this world for another - his own final definitive trans-creation across the banks and shoals of time and space.

It was in late 2008 that I spoke to him about the possibility of his playing a role in my new novel. As ever he let the spirit of Literature free, asking me to go ahead and write whatever I wanted to - with that twinkle in his eye planting seeds of doubt in my mind about the enormity of the task.

Getting into the Professor's mind, trying to gauge his probable reactions to events, meant wading deep in the immensity of his erudition, his scholarship and his wisdom. Every sentence uttered or penned by his fictitious avatar in the novel took ages of crafting, design and refining - to do justice to his wizardry with words and pen.

Many of the lessons learnt through his kindness and wisdom are included in the pages.It was my dream to present him with the first copy, to revel in his amusement at reading about himself in fictional form. I took a tad too long to finish the work ... a dream that never materialised as the sublime soul went into eternal sleep.

At this moment, I remember a piece of wisdom shared by him - in his one of a kind memoirs Lessons. Llife is nothing but a sum total of connections that we make. Connections with people that define what we are. And this is one connection that will never cease because it has redefined me.The torch of self expression lighted by him will show the way forever.for me and others touched by him in different pivotal moments of our lives.