It was a sunshine week recently for all the youngsters who cracked the IIT entrance. Newspapers splashed the happy faces with their parents in tow while the television channels went on air with the secrets of success shared by winning youngsters. And, for all those who feel disappointed and dejected for not getting through the entrance examination, author Neeraj Chhibba offers solace by presenting his own life as an example. In his debut work, Zero Percentile Missed IIT Kissed Russia , Neeraj combines reality with a fascinating tale full of adventure and the heady cocktail is too hard to be missed. “There were mainly three reasons for writing the book,” states Neeraj. “It is inspired from my own life but is not completely autobiographical. I wanted to tell the young boys and girls that life does not revolve around IIT. Move on and there are so many interesting things waiting for you. I didn't want it to be preachy so there is a story along with it,” he smiles.
His second reason dealt with the Russian society. “We have always known Russia through the eyes of the West. Russia is always projected as a land of mafia which is so untrue. Russians are well educated, sophisticated and have a deep cultural understanding. Walk in to any house and you will see a shelf with at least hundred books. I shared a unique bond with Russians and I wanted to present this different perspective,” he says.
Spreading the good word on AIDS formed the third reason for Neeraj. One friend of the protagonist in the book gets infected with AIDS and Neeraj brings out the agony he undergoes. “The trauma is unimaginable. So I am asking the youth not to be careless,” he says.
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Unlike other first-time authors who claim to have discovered the passion for writing suddenly, Neeraj says, he always wanted to write since childhood. “Earlier, it was the world of typewriters which made the lives difficult. Now, with computers and with blogs and twitter, many of us are telling stories on line,” he says. Neeraj, whose brain is buzzing with ideas hopes to write more books and tell more stories.