A Red, Red Rose - Search for an Identity

A Red, Red Rose – Search for an Identity is a story of Deepak who seeks, like most of us do, love, peace and happiness. From his formative years, he searches for an ideal which can ennoble him and in its pursuit drive him to achieve his goals. He finds his ideal in true love – symbolised as a red rose. A shattering experience teaches him that the love he sought is in reality an illusion, a fantasy. He begins life afresh encouraged by his stepmother. He gathers a circle of like-minded friends and forms an informal club. They sit out spare evenings delving into the mysteries of Life, of Being, of Becoming and the thing called God. Discussion and debate convince them that the core of the Scriptures or theologies has stood the test of time: it is Man who has strayed from the path of Truth and Righteousness. As his life unfolds, he sees the dual face of love. He now understands that a red rose is a red, red rose – a rose with thorns as well as sweetness, of blood and life. In his haste to hold the rose, he grasps the thorns. He perceives its sweetness, but finds himself pulled into a vortex he never envisaged. A Red, Red Rose – Search for an Identity charts a destiny of life and shows how, if one understands and has faith in God, one can find peace in this troubled world. A discerning reader will surely find a tumultuous journey through life in the book and, perhaps, discover answers to some of the major issues all of us face at some time or the other in our lives. What else does A Red, Red Rose – Search for an Identity offer you? The author, Arun (also known as Aaron), takes you through a guided tour of some of the most scenic places of India. You feel the dew, the raindrops; see rare birds and the wondrous plant life. You will see the Himalayan rivers in their pristine glory. You will mentally visualise the Nature’s beauty of Saharanpur, Dehra Dun, Mussoorie, Shillong, and Darjeeling. But all this was in the middle of the last century. Since then environmental degradation and unscientific development have traumatised the peace and wonder of these places. But there is hope: the last decade has seen the emergence of committed activists and alert courts of law who are ensuring that further rape of these historical places does not take place. The State authorities have woken up from their deep slumber prodded by the apex court of the land and have engaged student volunteers and others to restore the pristine glory of these places. A Red, Red Rose – Search for an Identity also provides an answer to Professor Stephen Hawking’s recent internet query: “In a world that is in chaos politically, socially and environmentally, how can the human race sustain for another 100 years?” The title of the book has been inspired by a poem that was adapted and written by the well known Scottish poet, Robert Burns: “O, my luve’s like a red, red rose, That’s newly sprung in June: O, my luve’s like the melodie That’s sweetly played in tune.”