Ensconced in Mature Harappan period 4400 years before present, the novel draws life-breath from archaeological research and personal travels by the author to Lothal, Khirsara and Dholavira. The story unfolds in the life of a young village girl Rura who is on the threshold of puberty and resplendent with desirephysical and mental. As she utters, I am a tree at the onset of spring waiting/or the first flowers to bloom on me and render me into a world of fragrant and colourful ecstasies. I am awakening winds from mount Himvan.I am the singing voice of resurging joys of pubescent beautiful girl.
She nourishes a dream of earning her place under Sun as an ace dancer in the great city of Mala (Mohenjodaro). In the village fair held to honour Ma Munathe Mother Goddess, an old merchant Guggal proffers extraordinary lapis-lazuli bracelets and an equally fascinating story of daring sea adventure. His journey is peppered with love of a woman, fear, curiosity, mishaps, and godsend people of different civilizations. The two scintillating dream stories of the dancing girl and of Guggalthe daring sea-fairing trader are inter- twined. For Guggal proclaims, “I wanted to touch the sky, nay I wanted to create a new sky with my imprints.” This novel is about dreams and daring, be it Rura or Guggal or still you and me and like all dreams they have no end!
About the Author
Educated at Delhi School of Economics he went on to join teaching in Delhi University while nurturing his interests in literature, art, painting and travelling. He travelled extensively through India especially the Harappan sites of Dholavira, Khirsara, VIJAY KUMAR VICTOR Lothal etc for this novel. He explored the lands of France, Germany, Finland, Spain, Swiss, Italy, Slovakia, Czech, Hungry, Poland, Turkey, Singapore, U.S.A., and Central Asia holding 120 art exhibitions and contributing to newspapers and publishing articles and poetry in many foreign journals of art and literature and delivering lectures. He published a book on art titled Mona Lisa does not smile anymore. Another novel and a collection of poetry are in the pipeline. Veteran journalist Vasantha Iyer wrote about him: One cannot help concluding that Vijay Kumar writes as poignantly as he paints……is his pen more eloquent than his paintbrush? (In Hindustan Times).
