Keep Off The Grass - By Karan Bajaj

Book Review: Keep Off The Grass - By Karan Bajaj

The novel has an honest attempt - to make you laugh till your sides ache. The
book is replete with humor, laughter and funny one-liners which keep you on the edge
to the last word read. Certainly this one tickles your funny bone.

The novel's protagonist Samrat Ratan, son of second generation US immigrants
chooses to leave hot shot investment banking, debonair and drug addicted lifestyle,
nostalgic friendship and plush shores of US only for a sinlge minded pursuit which
catches him unawares - desire to search for his roots in the country where he was
born, India.

The decison triggers off a rollercoaster ride with Samrat enroling himself
at IIM - Bangalore only to embark on a hilarious action packed journey
much to his curiosity and amazement. The journey unfolds weird
and nerve wrecking experiences - being arrested and spending reflective
moments in a prison cell in Bangalore, strange encounter with the flesh
eating cannibal Aghori sect saints on the ghats of Benares, bizzare one-
night stand with a Dannish hippie at Dharamshala. The icing on the cake
is the camaraderie and warmth which he shares with his IIM friends - Sarkar
and Vinod who tread along the rocky yet introspective journey only to conquer
and emerge victorious out of the two year b-school program which is supposedly
the mother of all.

Pieces to be watched out for in the novel are the philosophical theories
and one-liners which are spewed in abundance by Samrat, Sarkar and Vinod.
The honesty, quirky reactions and confessions of Samrat's character clearly holds the
fort and gives an autobiographical tinge to the storyline. For those on the lookout for
laughter, entertainment, glimpses of b-school life alongwith liberal doses of
soul searching, spirituality and quarter-life crisis, this is one novel which should not be
missed out.