An Interview With Satyendra Dhariwal | Author Of Avyakata Kamala (The Involute Dunes)

Hi Friends,

Allow me to introduce Satyendra Dhariwal, the author of अव्यक्त कामल: कलि-काल के धोरों में जन्मी एक महागाथा. Interestingly the book is bilingual, its English version is named as The Involute Dunes: an epic saga born in the age of Kali. It is not his first book, but it is the first by him we got a chance to read. Fortunately, from our team, I got a chance to read it and I really loved it.

You can read our book reviews for the same at:

• Avyakta Kamala by Satyendra Dhariwal | Book Reviews

Impressed by his writings, we thought it would be a nice experience to have a Q/A session with. It will give us a chance to know him better, and probably, we could explore his vision as a writer. Fortunately, the things worked out positively and from our team, I got a chance to be part of this conversation.

Satyendra Dhariwal – Author Of Avyakata Kamala (The Involute Dunes)

So, without waiting further, let us explore it :).

Ah yes, I am feeling accomplished and happy. But this is the human nature that along with the every feeling of accomplishment there born new goals or challenges or desires and this cycle go on until death. In my opinion accomplishment means feeling complete, means becoming free from desires and let the life happen while doing your karma. In that sense I am feeling hungry because success is yet to come. Yes, I feel inching closer towards my goal.

I am an author by choice and lives only for writing. I was born in a remote village of Rajasthan and love to write on vivid subjects. I was an avid reader since my childhood (now I don’t read much). I read everything with interest, no matter what the subject matter, topic, genre, category of the printed material was. I wrote in school too but only when provoked. But the real turn came when I heard the story of a mythological movie (in school) and thought that I can write better. I began to saunter in the verandah of my house and within half an hour I cooked up a story, a novella rather. That was the beginning.

My way of storytelling is something from which you can’t escape (sorry for praising myself, but…). My stories clutch your mind right from the beginning and don’t leave you even after finishing the read. Other than enthralling and enchanting the readers, my tales give ample amount of food to their brains in order to grow them beyond limits. Along with writing novels, I also love to write poetry. I just want to remain a writer and serve the readers till life. But in order to fulfill that you need to buy my books more and more 🙂 .

Ah words again!! :). I didn’t write about mythology in this book Jiten ji; this is true that I have blended history and mythology to make the story interesting and compelling. I wanted to convey something to people, wanted to tell the things which are lost. I wanted to give ample amount of food to the brains of people in order to make them grow to understand “All That Is”. And I think that God has helped me to convey that through this mesmerizing tale of Timeless people and Places. I didn’t explore my world, I have explored “our” world rather.

A) The most difficult task of a book is to finalize its title, believe me. It took me four months of brain-storming before calling it अव्यक्त कामल in Hindi and The Involute Dunes in English. In the book, the toughest part was Chapter 22, it was most difficult to convey that much of things in one Chapter and near about a hundred pages; I had to compress those things in one chapter. I could have written much more but then I realized that it was a novel.

A) This is the most difficult question mate. I enjoyed writing the whole book. I had gone through every possible emotion while writing this book as if I was watching all this. I enjoyed writing the addresses to the soldiers by the Kings and leaders, both the rendezvous of Kehar and Vallari, describing the human emotions in my own way, battling of Kehar for the first time, and many such things.

The hardest part for me is to finalize the topic, the theme on which I will write. Once it is finalized, then I make a rough outline and just that. I don’t make plots, details etc. before writing. Most fun part of my writing is that even I don’t know what will follow in my story; and what twist & turn it will take ahead. It flows, just flows as if I am telling a story to myself; or I can also say as if someone is telling me and I am writing it smoothly. My writing space is a plastic chair, sometimes my bed, sometimes it may be under a tree, it can be an open roof; sometimes I bolt myself inside a room for hours. But, when I start writing I go into a kind of shell, into solitude, so that I can immerse into the world completely that I am creating.

Yes it does. I have designed it with the help of an artist friend.

Right, writing these kinds of tales soaks up your brain. It needs a lot of imagination, an irrelevant imagination. You need to travel the time in order to write that. My whole life is the reason for writing this book. The things I have told in this saga are the things which have nagged me until now, and still they are.

If we talk about this book, I must say that it has affected me in an enormous way. I wrote my previous book (An Immortal Story: a tale of tolerance beyond limit) in contemporary times. I read it once, twice or may be thrice; but after a few months I felt like “hell, what trash I have written? I could have written much better.” But for this book I can’t say that, I have read it almost eight times (excluding the editing rounds) and it have been almost two years, but every time I feel fresh, feel that I have learnt something despite of knowing that I have written it. I consider this book as an ocean in which with every dive (read) you will find some valuable different from the previous one and think that why had you missed that earlier. This book lets me up every time I feel down.

‘Jaisalmer and 11th century, isn’t it enough. I don’t want to give any spoilers, it is available for just Rs. 39 on my website (http://involutedunes.com) and for Rs. 59 on Amazon, just go, get it, and dive in to experience The Involute Dunes or Avyakta Kāmala; believe me it will come out to be a saga you have never read before. A world of dunes containing the beauty of desolation and a story never heard before. A tale which is Timeless; about the people who had conquered the Time; and the places which are beyond description.

Still not sure, okay, you can download the FIRST FIVE Chapters completely FREE from the website and then decide whether to buy it or not.

This book is epic, seriously an epic desert saga born in the age of Kali. I don’t have enough space here to tell the comprehensiveness of this book. It is not about one or few things, it is about everything. By keeping this in mind, let me give the overview of the book (which again is not sufficient to capture the essence of the saga) There were the tales of legends sailing in the air of Jaisalmer, legends of the forgotten warriors, rulers, of people; of the forgotten empires; legends of the forgotten beauty until this volume. We have read many epic volumes from the previous ages but here is the epic saga of the age of Kali filled with abstruseness of the desert land.

We are in the eleventh century and India is called The Golden Bird. Islām is a newly born religion and is spreading its pinions with rapid velocity. These are the times when Indian rulers are fighting amongst each other. So does the Jaisalmer and Mārwār. But there is another huge nation which is eying upon India. The ruler of that place wants to reign over India. He wants to make Jaisalmer his Centre because Jaisalmer lies on the famous “World Silk Trade Route” and is the connecting link between the Western and Indian trade.

This is the tale of two generations. The tale of magnificent desert land and golden city. The tale of a huge empire and two little Kingdoms. Tale of bravery, politics, friendship, lust, the tale of war, tale of love & hatred, of faith & deception, tale of importance and futility, of establishment and ruination; and overall, the tale of Salvation.

No genre is my favorite, I read everything.

Favorites change with time, age, experience and circumstances. But there is one book for which I had thought, alas! if only I would have written that book. And that book was ‘Madhushālā’ by Harivansh Rai Bachchan. But I have read Munshi Premchand more than anyone else.

I don’t know about how it is started but it has given leverage, a chance to the authors to reach their work(s) out to the readers easily. And it has given more reading opportunity to the readers, they have much more options. They don’t have to wander from bookstore to bookstore to find their interest. But still I feel that nothing can beat the physical book, it can be dimmed out for a certain period of time but it can’t be outshined.

Website: http://involutedunes.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorsatyendra/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorsatyendra

Sorry (: . I have my outlines and I am still developing it.

I have much to say about the dark side of the publishing industry but it’s better not to discuss it right now as most people know this. I had got numerous rejections and few acceptances. Some told to make it into a series but I had wanted it to be remembered as an epic for many years and I am sure it will be. It is true that I want to see success while being alive but it may happen or not. I am sure about one thing that it will taste success one day, but am not sure about my seeing it. I also have a couple of cancelled contracts in name.

Yes, I think we are ignorant and our elders/ancestors are equally responsible for that. They told us to touch the feet of elders, to not wear shoes in the temples, to not marry outside your caste etc. But they failed to give us the reason(s) to our why(s).

Traditions remained alive but they lost reasons with time. But let me tell you, our traditions, our culture are marvels if we know and understand the so called “scientific” reasons behind them. I wanted to include all these things in this book but it would have made the CHPATER No. 22^nd an unending one.

Just learn the reason, the real meaning behind each saying in our culture and you will be an enlightened one.

I love all epics but Mahabharata is the most relevant one. It is the most educative for the contemporary society. You understand it and you can run a successful show on TV about life management and dealing with everything.

Oh thank you mate. I would love to see it being adapted in a movie or TV serial. As all its characters are very strong it’s very tough to choose the cast; as we need four large human beings (who should be great actors too) to play the roles of Gaj, Jaitang, the mysterious black-attired man and the biggest one – Subuktgeen. I think the readers can suggest better.

If I talk into the Indian terms then only intention or devotion. Because this nation does not run with the rules and regulations, this goes by the devotion. We are a chaotic herd and we need the correct herdsmen. Even in terms of political parties we have devotees, we follow some or the other parties blindly. I think you have got my point. We need right shepherds to drive us, need the right motivation, right stimulus.

My hobbies change with time.

he shorter the better. By keeping that in mind I would say

Miracle happens when you don’t give up even though you want to.

But best things will come to you when you are least desperate for them. You got me? I was trying to convey the famous line of Srimad-Bhagvadgeetā “कर्म करो फ़ल की इच्छा मत करो।”

If you love something, don’t leave it in the manner of giving up, leave it up with dignity that it is not working and I need to change the route, need to change the gear. But keep this also in mind that running away from life, from yourself, from duties is not the way. Double-minded, right? The thing behind this message is it’s not about right or wrong, good or bad; it’s about creating the BALANCE. Even God does the same, they (God) create the balance, that’s only why we find them both cruel and benevolent.

Quick Purchase Links:

• Buy Book From Amazon India – Kindle EBook (Hindi)
• Buy Book From Amazon US – Kindle EBook (Hindi)
• Buy Book From Amazon India – Kindle EBook (English)
• Buy Book From Amazon US – Kindle EBook (English)

Over To You:

Hope you have enjoyed the Q/A session with him. And many of your questions might be already answered. Let us know that what do you think about this Interview session? Do you want us to ask anything else to him on your behalf? Do let us know. Also, let us know which other authors you like us to interview? Do let us know your thoughts and remarks via comments below. Do not forget to share this article with your friends over various social networks via Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus and others. And yes, you may like to subscribe to our RSS feeds and follow us on various Social networks to get latest updates for the site to land right in your mail box.