Please condole the death of Mr. Nirmal Verma, one of the greatest Hindi writers. I always enjoyed his writings. His writings I thought had the quality of contemplation sometimes very meditative. He explored the mind of the character, and situations were only incidental in the whole scheme of things. I have read his Hindi as also English translations of his books.
I also had the opportunity to be his neighbor!!. I was staying in a single room top floor that was adjacent to his house in karol bagh, Delhi. Although he sold his house and shifted out (to Bhopal I was told) few months after I moved in. I interacted with him twice, once after a program in IIC, I didn’t see him but we got into the same DTC bus. I found him standing next to me, so got up and offered my seat. He was surprised I thought. Few days later I met him on the street next to where I stayed, I guess he recognized me so I found it necessary to mention that I stay nearby and also that I have read his books. I recollect him uttering a line or two as formality. I saw him quite often on the street from my room that had a window facing the street (I was staying near to a traffic junction). He was a real slow walker so i thought he was contemplating his next story as he walked!!. We common people do have a very romanticed (sometimes mystery ridden) version of writers. During that period i too was scribbling few things, grand failure though, but naive as i was i did for sometime had him as someone i can emulate, a role model. He was too good. Mr. Nirmal Verma was undoubtedly a brilliant writer.
Bye
PS. How is that when the whole world is aware of sad demise of Mr. Verma that Mr. Ram is still groping!!.(Times Of India even carries a write up). Competence?. Yah sure. How long are we going to tolerate you Ram?.
I also had the opportunity to be his neighbor!!. I was staying in a single room top floor that was adjacent to his house in karol bagh, Delhi. Although he sold his house and shifted out (to Bhopal I was told) few months after I moved in. I interacted with him twice, once after a program in IIC, I didn’t see him but we got into the same DTC bus. I found him standing next to me, so got up and offered my seat. He was surprised I thought. Few days later I met him on the street next to where I stayed, I guess he recognized me so I found it necessary to mention that I stay nearby and also that I have read his books. I recollect him uttering a line or two as formality. I saw him quite often on the street from my room that had a window facing the street (I was staying near to a traffic junction). He was a real slow walker so i thought he was contemplating his next story as he walked!!. We common people do have a very romanticed (sometimes mystery ridden) version of writers. During that period i too was scribbling few things, grand failure though, but naive as i was i did for sometime had him as someone i can emulate, a role model. He was too good. Mr. Nirmal Verma was undoubtedly a brilliant writer.
Bye
PS. How is that when the whole world is aware of sad demise of Mr. Verma that Mr. Ram is still groping!!.(Times Of India even carries a write up). Competence?. Yah sure. How long are we going to tolerate you Ram?.
