Book Review : ‘Rustom and the last storyteller of Almora' by Gaurav Parab

‘Rustom and the Last Storyteller of Almora’ is kind of a mixed review book. I liked it, found quite a bit of stuff, which I could identify with, loved it and then then I reached a slightly boring part, and then I began to love it again. Gaurav Parab almost dipped his hands into ink, which did not remain blue, but survived the red, to float back into black.

Green-eyed Rustom Iraqiwala is drained of all his family wealth, when he runs out of money on horses and also a few women, he ‘liked’. He has a wife, Jennifer and a daughter, Sara.  He is trying to find a way from this rigmarole, of all his debtors and his women, when he tries to commit suicide after listening in on the reading of his great grandfather’s will on his 30^th birthday.

And so, you find him in Kothaluru, where his friend, Mani’s wedding is taking place. He thinks of shooting himself at the wedding, but is quickly caught and finds himself on his way to the Himalayas.

In the village, known as Gaon, he changes his name to Dev and he is sent to meet with Kahaani Baba. Kahaani Baba, who has visions and sorts out peoples’ problems by telling them of them, and asking them to figure it out. But, in Dev’s case, he has two visions.

But the thing I liked best of these visions were the stories, which come out of them. The first includes an old lady, in Bangalore’s Cubbon Park, and a couple of joggers. I loved this particular one, because of my own love for Bangalore, and my empathetic feeling for the lady’s story.

The second one spoke of a Ravi Joshi and his odd way of finding jobs and his love for photography and a suicide to round it off. Both of these are related to Rustom’s life, though not directly. Story within story is a brilliant move.

Gaurav Parab

But that is when the book seems to stretch on, as a trip back to Bombay is scheduled. Figure them out, and give the book a good reading, because it deserves it. The book was funny at times, more out of the situations that Rustom finds himself, in. The best thing is the characterization and the descriptions of the places.

The story runs its course, and one finds a little bit of themselves in the odd of stories. So, does Rustom stay on at the ashram or head back to Bombay? Do read up, Folks…

You can Buy the Book, right here.