Grahan

Grahan (meaning eclipse) is a book written by Narayan Dharap, a renowned author with several best selling books in Marathi language. N Dharap mainly wrote in horror, mystery, thriller, and sci-fi genre. Grahan belongs to Sci-fi mystery genre. I believe it is ahead of time.

Grahan deals with struggle of a woman. A married woman who has two kids, leaves her home to buy a family pack of ice cream. When she returns, her home is not there. A tall multistory building stands where her home was. There is no record about her. Nobody knows her. But she knows the area well. She knows the current news. She proves that she is sane but the world around her is different. The questions remain: who is she? Where is her family? Where is her house? How everything disappeared in a heartbeat? Is this the reality or some glitch in the matrix?

Grahan is a gripping book. From the start to end, one cannot keep the book away. The mystery deepens with each chapter. Each chapter asks more questions than gives answers. The mystery ends only on the very last line on the last page. After reading this book, I was shocked that India has such creative and competent writers. Grahan was written in 60s or 70s. However it speaks about the concept which are introduced in the media in the recent times. I felt that this book is years ahead of its time.

Another interesting aspect of this book is that the story is from the POV of the woman. She is not a damsel in distress. She wants answers. She is willing to explore. She has been portrayed as a woman who accepts various possibilities. She is ready to take the help and support that she gets from people around her. The people do not dismiss her claims by calling her "crazy". Every person is empathetic and understanding. Every person is willing to help her. The human emotions of love, longing, care, passion, curiosity, empathy are explained in a beautiful way.

This book is underrated and is not yet recognized as a masterpiece. I got to know about this book when it was made into a series. The series could not deliver the message and mystery. Hence I hunted for the book and read it. Otherwise I did not know the existence of this book. What Marvel tries to explore in 2020s was already explored by this book in 70s.

I believe this book not only deserves the mainstream recognition but it should also be translated into several languages. This way all book lovers and sci fi lovers will be able to enjoy this finest literature. We do not need to look up to the western world for fantasy and sci fi. We have our own capable authors who can write intriguing books. This book also deserves another attempt to be made as a limited episode web series. In hands of a capable director and writer, it has the potential to become as big as Stranger things, Game of Thrones, Squid Games, or other equivalent global phenomenon. This book is that amazing.

As of today, Grahan is an underappreciated literary gem that is yet to find an audience. I hope it get the recognition and success it deserves.