Trial tales

Urban Shots is a collection of 29 urban tales contributed by 13 young writers. The stories deal with various issues related to the heart,from love and longing,to angst and betrayal. Nestled among the stories of accomplished writers,lies Trial and Error by Saraiya. A story based in the romantic hillscapes of Nainital,it revolves around a relationship with a significant other in different time zones. Having spent five years in Nainital in a boarding school,Saraiya knows the place like the back of his hand.

An editor of a lifestyle website along with co-author Sahil Khan,writing is indeed his passion but strangely Saraiya was never an avid reader. “It was my school English teacher who inspired me and supported my writing. She really encouraged me,” he adds. Much of his inspiration lies in Tarun Tejpal as he finds a unique connection with his novels. The Alchemy of Desire painted vivid sights for me and to know where he is coming from is what makes me admire his fiction writing so much,” he says with admiration.

A popular blogger,this 20-year-old wrote the story in just two days. Gallivanting across Goa left him with little time to formulate the characters and bring them to life. In his defense,he says,“Two days for me is a lot of time. I end up writing stories in 20 minutes.” With his finger in many pies,he is now looking into other uncharted territories. After graduation,theatre will be his priority while focusing on scripts films. However,blogging will carry on,“definitely,” he smiles.

Crossing such landmarks at this age has left him with a warm feeling of achievement. College life in Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communiation (UG) has provided immense opportunities to the youngest short story author of Urban Shots. This city has indeed been the right place for him. “Everyone has a story,the difference lies in the fact that I expressed mine at the age of 20,” he says.

The book also has a foreward by 19-year-old Rohini Kejriwal,another addition to the young writers’ brigade. Paritosh Uttam,the editor of the book,who has also contributed 10 stories,says,“All these stories have been written from different points of view. An editor for the first time,it was a unique experience to be on the other side of the table.”