Dreams are always a source of motivation and inspiration for a person to live by and try for the better. They become a source of direction and guide a person to achieve unimaginable things.  But sometimes, dreaming and desire to fulfill them comes at a price. Devesh Kumar Krishdhan with his book, “Dream: Chaos and Beyond” talks about this price that the protagonist, Nandu has to pay for dreaming. The author covers his life and also the closest relations that he has. Their problems and their fates are also described by the author in a vivid and heart touching manner.

The title of the book suggests  a lot and the readers get a clue of what the author is going to talk about. They know that there is going to be the talk about a dream and the consequences of dreaming. The cover also gives the necessary idea without giving any spoilers. The author begins the story with the central character and his desire but the readers have no clue of how far this desire will take him. But at the same time, Krishdhan also talks about other issues and perhaps, one of the most important themes is of poverty and lack of money. Through his story, the author proves that money may not be anything, yet it is everything. Apart from this, other important themes include happiness, responsibilities towards one’s family, marital happiness, love, domestic violence and many more. The author manages to cover and address these themes in the framework of “Dream: Chaos and Beyond” single-handedly and the readers only realize this after finishing the book.

Although the air of gloom is there in the book throughout, but the readers feel the heart-wrenching effect towards the end seeing the poignant state of the characters. They feel Nandu’s pain and burden the whole time and can’t help but feel sorry for both his life and fate. The fact that he dreamt and desired and worked towards achieving his dream is praiseworthy. But at the same time, his pushing himself towards his doom is also anticipated. The readers may not exactly know what is going to happen, yet they know that something will happen. Krishdhan gives the book a touch of the stark realities of life that jolt the readers and make them have a reality check and also understand the life of the people who struggle every day to make their ends meet. The problems they face, the trauma they go through and the stress they have may not be mentioned directly but it is clear by looking at the lives of the characters. In the light of this, calling “Dream: Chaos and Beyond” a work of social importance will not be wrong.

Krishdhan divides the story into 12 chapters and titles them to the best suitability. He keeps the plot sharp and focused and using the forward and flashback technique which sustains the interest of the readers throughout the book. This technique also makes the following part in the book unpredictable for the readers and no one is able to guess what could happen next. They remain curious all the time and keep hoping that something better would turn up. The plot may be short but the author artistically explores a variety of themes and many years in the lives of the characters and also many layers of the society. He brings different people of the society together on one canvas and leaves it to the reader’s observations to understand and comprehend.

Nandu as the central character wins the hearts and sympathies of the readers through his miseries and tough life. The fact that he has to keep deferring his dream breaks the hearts of the readers and they keep hoping that one day, life will get better for him. Other characters like his father, mother, sister, wife, daughters, his music teacher and her briefly appearing husband also have their own positions but at the same time, they help in contributing to the development of Nandu and his personality and make him much more sharp and strong at his position. They all have their respectful fates but one thing that pervades the problems of Nandu’s family is the abject poverty they live in.

Readers who want to read hardcore realities of life and also see love and loss should read “Dream: Chaos and Beyond”. Krishdhan displays attributes of Dickens and Premchand here and there when he brings the extreme poverty conditions of the protagonist and the people associated with him and the problems that come as a package with it. Readers are also isolated from the luxury and fast life of the city and get to read a story which may be a reality of many who are not from the elite and well-off class of the society. Nandu’s story could be the story of any autovala on the road.

Book: DREAM: Chaos and Beyond
Author: Devesh Kumar Krishdhan
Publisher: Evincepub Publishing (2020)|
Order Book: Order on Amazon
Reviewed By: Akhila Saroha