I think back to the time when I started reading Shantaram. I remember being completely blown away by the profundity of the words used by the author Gregory David Roberts. What intrigued me further was how he had to write the book three times, for the previous two manuscripts were completely destroyed. How could a person forbear oneself from losing courage at such times? Let alone have the patience to go through all of it again?

When I looked at GDR’s mammoth novel, I knew it would take me a while. Primarily coz there were so many things to tend to. My life at that point was nothing less than an amalgamation of self-made tasks tacked against deadlines. But there was no hurry to finish it. I wanted to crawl through its leaflets because every chapter was laced with his extraordinary rumination that would force me to put down the book and think. His words weighed in gravitas. I guess somewhere I didn’t want it to get over.

Few books have been able to do that to me, with F. Scott Fitzgerald and Charles Bukowski right at the top of that list. I found GDR to be a very gifted writer capable of sending you into chasms of introspection. The way he describes Mumbai would put any city lover to shame. More than often, I would wonder how could a person who wasn’t even born in India could love one of its places so much. He found peace right in the midst of chaos. The city gave him, in a way, freedom, a chance to redeem himself where he got to be who he was, and at the same time absolve himself.

The author’s greatest reflections are often made via the mouths of some of the most outstanding characters that he created. Their musings leave you awestruck. I can’t believe how many amazing quotes I have pinned as takeaways from the novel.

The Arthur jail tribulation that the author was forced to experience, hammers in once again the concept surrounding pain and suffering. When you are pitted against pain, there is little that you can do. But you can always make a choice against suffering. To not choose the latter, to find that silver lining and come out strong, distinguishes you from the rest.

I feel fortunate to have run into Shantaram. It was almost as if the universe wanted me to read this. Outstanding piece of work. Art at its very best!