An Audience With Lama

In the year 2010, the city of Leh, Ladakh was ravaged by flash-floods. A cloud burst pounced on the unsuspecting tourists. A hitherto unseen facet of Mother Nature surfaced which led to complete immobilization of men and material. The relief efforts got plenty of run-time on television and detailed reports were printed in leading dailies of the world. However much before the Indian defense forces regained composure in the region a tale had begun. The only two roads that lead to Leh (from Manali and Srinagar respectively) have been devastated by flood water. The Airport is not serviceable. Ten complete strangers wait their imminent death, Abhilash was one of them. Facing death far away from home he penned down what his fellow survivors had to say. He had accumulated the stories, the unfulfilled aspirations, and plethora of emotions that took a center stage once his fellow travelers were faced with an untimely fate. The book is not about the fury of nature or the plight of survivors, it is a story that entails the fragility of human life and futility of material yearnings. Moreover the book follows a very innovative narrative style which includes 10 different speakers each narrating his own anecdote, his own perspective. The reader will definitely find himself in one of these stories. The author has neatly woven the literary thread across individual experiences to bring forth a well researched book which is not only adventurous but also deeply rooted in spirituality.