From Smiles to Stories: The inspiration behind Alumni Portal

Gulf Network

The author first encountered the unforgettable story of two friends exchanging smiles on alternate days during their college commute at an alumni gathering. They silently engaged in a game: one smiled on Monday, the other on Tuesday, and so it continued—until a painful misunderstanding shattered the cycle. This touching tale inspired “Alumni Portal,” an award-winning story that sparked the author’s desire to create an entire collection capturing the intricate nature of human connections.

The collection consists of twelve stories, each delving into friendship, love, and loss themes. In “Ulladakkam,” a series of old love letters brings forth memories of heartbreak. Sent back after the recipient marries someone else, these letters represent the painful struggle of unfulfilled love. Another story, “Thritheeyam,” reflects a moonlit night in Bangalore, where a comforting gesture from Radha, a hijra, alleviated the author’s loneliness, marking the first tale in the collection. 

Other stories feature colorful characters like Puttuswamy, a man managing life with three wives in “Samksaarikam.” The eccentricities of people like Puttuswamy offer profound insights, winning admiration from writers such as Ram Mohan Paliath, E. Jayakrishnan, and K.P. Ramanunni. 

Tales like “Mahishbathan,” about a devoted driver; “Paniyaayudham,” following Porinju, the son of Mary; and “Thirakkatha,” about a writer's confrontation with a director, draw from the author’s personal experiences. In “Yaathrikar,” the intertwined lives of Chandran Menon and Devaki Warasyar unfold, while “Nilayum Periyarum” explores the complex relationship of a controversial couple. Familiar faces, such as Kunal, the watchman in “Paaz,” and a biology teacher in “Medulla Oblangetta,” further populate the collection.

Each story offers a surreal yet reflective journey, inviting readers to revisit moments of nostalgia. The tales resonate with the bonds and memories distinctive of college life, infused with a sense of fantasy. 

Published by Ivory Books, “Alumni Portal” will be launched at the Sharjah International Book Fair on November 12 at 9 p.m., with a preface by the reputed writers Ram Mohan Paliath, Ashtamoorthy, K.P. Ramanunni, and Critic E. Jayakrishnan have praised the collection, celebrating its contemporary storytelling. 

“Alumni Portal” engages readers in a vivid world where fleeting encounters are immortalized through storytelling. Available at the Ivory Books stall, it is sure to captivate those who appreciate the beauty of connection and memory.