RATNADIP ACHARYA

Somewhere Khalil Gibran wrote The Talkative Me always become silent only when they ask me, ‘Who are you or tell me something about you?’ 

It is difficult to write about oneself when every morning one finds oneself as a new being, armed with new understanding, strength and weakness. So all I can write about me is a few mundane things for my entity, like all of ours, is not a being but in a state of continuously becoming.   

A Regional Engineering College, Jamshedpur, graduate in the beginning I dreamt of becoming a street magician, someone like a David Blaine or a Criss Angel. I learnt excellent street magic but destiny had other plan for me. It brought me to Mumbai where I started working as an electrical Engineer. 

I would spend the weekends riding motorbike across the city late at night and slowly a feeling started germinating in my mind during those hours I spent sitting at Marine Drive, all alone, at the wee hours that I could write and devise stories. 

A seed sprouts and eventually turns into a flower only if the plant is watered, sunlight kisses it every morning and wind whispers the words of trust to it. The seed of thought that filled my heart for many weeks slowly found a strong base in my heart as I nurtured it with trust in myself, love and hard work. 

Writing is easy but getting published is a herculean task. When I got fully accustomed to failure and constant rejection one fine day a write up of mine was accepted for one of the editions of Chicken soup for the soul. Since then I wrote many write ups for several volumes Chicken Soup for the souls. 

It was followed by grand break when my first novel ‘Life is always aimless… unless you love it’ published in 2012 by Sristhi publication. The novel did well and it was followed by my second novel in 2015, Paradise Lost & Regained. It is about a small deer narrating its life and this novel earned me critical acclaim.

Soon I started writing for the Speaking Tree in The Times of India regularly. Meanwhile my stories/articles started publishing in magazines like Woman’s Era, Bonobology etc. 

In 2018 I hit upon a unique idea of working on a historical thriller and since then have been working on it for many months. Hope it sees the light of the day soon. 

In this long literary journey always helps me resolutely, standing by me, is my wife, Sophia. And Akash, our nine-year old son always keeps our little house filled with laughter and joy.  

BOOKS

THE SPEAKING STONE

“We haven't fallen in love but holding the hand of love and being in love we
have risen, for it has gifted us with the wings of trust, bliss and ecstasy.” –
Sugandha & Christopher

The dark shadows of the past chase many of us, forcing us to live in a small cocoon
that we make around us. We feel safe in that tiny nest where other people cannot
enter and hurt us easily. But little do we know that in this process we also stop love
and beatitude of life from overwhelming our beings.

Heartbroken Sugandha had taken a vow not to respond to love if it ever knocked at
the door to her heart again.

Christopher was haunted by a disturbing childhood and boyhood and had devised
his own means to derive joy from life all alone. 
They both met in the sleepy and quaint town of Panaji. From a small nod of
acknowledgement to long idyllic talks… love cast its own magic spell.
But a difficult battle was looming overhead, determined to destroy their dream of
remaining together. All they possessed to win the battle was the courage, trust and
determination that they drew from love.
Based on a true story 'Your Love Makes Me Complete' is an inspiring novel on love,
trust & destiny to read and reread.


READERS’ REVIEW

THE SPEAKING STONE

Mumbai, December 2016: A young man found an ancient-looking piece of stone with strange images and Sanskrit inscriptions. A quest to know the origin of the stone brought him to the distant part of the country. Chandannagar, December 2016: A young vivacious historian woman read an old book on a century-old secret story about a little known part of the country. Her curiosity got the better of her as the book disappeared mysteriously before she could complete it. She reached a sleepy quaint state of the country to satiate her curiosity. Eventually they both met and their search began from the city museum to a far-flung rock mountain which revealed a century-old story of a seductive danseuse, her enigmatic lover, a string of her admirers, a painter with a photographic memory, a bird that could speak in many voices, a benevolent king and a gruesome conspiracy. And the most important clue to decode the final secret was with the missing part of The Speaking Stone But in the process of unearthing old secrets their lives were also in danger… To know more read… 

The Speaking Stone


READERS’ REVIEW

LIFE IS ALWAYS AIMLESS …. UNLESS YOU LOVE IT

The blurb of the book…

Its takes courage to fight one’s enemies; but it takes much more to fight loved ones. Especially if it’s a fight between their ideologies and your heart!Akash followed his heart and left all else to write books. But the magic of his words lost to the publishers as he faced rejection from all ends. He doubts his hearts to have misled him.Smitten by wanderlust, adventurous Sandip didn’t care much about career, marriage or making a family. But as life goes on, will he regret listening to his heart?Chirag’s charming persona makes him popular with women. But the absence of the most loving woman, his mother, leaves him lonely. Will his heart offer the affection he misses?Maria Fernandez firmly believes that possessing a tender heart is enough to cover up for her average look. Will the ruthlessness of life shatter her inner beauty?As their lives overlap and get intertwined, they learn from each other and come to understand that

Life is Always Aimless… Unless You Love it.


READERS’ REVIEW

PARADISE LOST & REGAINED

The blurb of the book…

Whispered the forest & its trees, ‘Little deer, tell us your story again.’Smiled I & asked, ‘What will you gain hearing it time & again?’Replied the forest at once, ‘It is not just a story of a deer,but of we all—forest, earth, sky, trees, wind and river.It is a testimony to trust, love, hope & couragethat we will all remember for ages.’With a smile, again I began to narrate my story,which breathed my love, fear, success, failure & glory.It spanned from my birth in the forest to human captivity,from where I escaped to explore life’s other possibility.Everywhere and every moment I received help from Nature,& it taught me to experience life from closer.I learnt that the other name of life is Mystery,and that it is beautiful with all its unknown twists and unpredictability.Once I finished my narration, the forest was throbbing with life,there prevailed only peace, silence & joy, and no strife.‘Name your story,’ breathed the forest and every living entity it contained.Thought I for a while and replied…

Paradise Lost & Regained.


READERS’ REVIEW