ShortStoryBook.net reviews Keep Off the Grass – Karan Bajaj

There is hardly any book that comes by, induces some cherished moments filled with joyous laughter and humbly returns to where it originally belonged; ‘ back besides among the piling shelf. This and all, not without lending us with those insightful thoughts that can be enjoyed along with some much defined pondering. Such induced pondering does threaten to continue for days on end. Karan Bajaj’s debut novel ‘Keep off the grass’ is one such book.

First look at the book and the number of pages, it appears to be vehemently thin. The writer decided to keep the flow of words utterly simple with use of a lucid language. Such simplified language is specifically for those readers who love reading a fast pace book. This also makes it easy for an averagely slow reader; to finish the entire book, until the last page in no more than two days of continuous reading. Besides the actual page count, it is the interest factor that makes the book a compulsive page turner.

Bajaj’s protagonist within the book is a young Indian (by origin) investment banker who resides in posh one room apartment in upstate New York. He is bestowed with all possible happiness and a good paying job at the Wall Street. Unlike most of his distant relatives, that staying back in India; for him everything seems to be going truly well.

Samrat (character’s name) is the typical single 23 year old NRI. Being a typical NRI that he is! Like out of nowhere, his thoughts get obsessed with the sudden urge to search for his ‘real’ identity. That is about his true origin, the culture to which he (somehow) originally belongs and any of those ‘typical’ things, that needs some or the other kind of existential seeking.

The eternal search begins with him acquiring admission at the prestigious IIM’s Bangalore. First glimpse of the pot filled roads that leads Samrat towards the gate of one of the top business school in the country proves contradicting enough in shaking his hardened determination into a feeble regret. ‘Now there is no stepping back.

In the book, the B-school serves as a starting point to one of the most adventurous journey ever. The story’s perspective, throughout the book is heavily focused on Samrat himself (the protagonist) with other characters making a very quick appearance in each of the fore told plots. The author, Bajaj doesn’t go in those tell-tale depths, avoiding the lengthening of chapters. But instead uses a different type of format – i.e. ‘The interlinked short stories.

In a nutshell, the book is divided into various little short stories. Each of the stories define the different points that unfold in the course of the character’s journey. The subtle touch that makes all these little stories combined as one entire book is, every story is intended so as to be a continuation from the previous one. That is why; the book is so ‘up’ on the interest quotient.

“Keep off the grass” is specially recommended for those who are related with the quintessential MBA learning.

Short Story Book Rating –  “Keep off the Grass – 3/5