Description
Prabodh Kumar Govil
For Aqaab, there are no national or regional limits. A young man named Tanishq stands at the center of the novel. His sphere of movement spans almost the entire world, and he is connected with major cities across the globe. He enters the narrative with a reference to the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers in America. Gradually, he establishes himself as the central figure, with all other characters revolving around him.
He is from Japan. At the age of nine, he witnesses his parents’ separation—his father marries a Taiwanese woman and moves to Taiwan. His mother tries to raise Tanishq alone, but overwhelmed by despair and invisible fears, Tanishq eventually leaves home.
The innocent Tanishq becomes associated with Masroo Uncle. Though he never truly forgets his mother, Aasanika, the relentless grind of worldly life continues to crush his emotions.
The narrative keeps shifting across numerous cities such as New York, Dublin, Leh, Texas, California, Beirut, Jaipur, Mumbai, and Srinagar. It also weaves in elements like acting in Hollywood and Bollywood, and beauty pageants. Throughout, Tanishq appears as a narrative anchor holding the storyline together like a screenplay.
