Pulak Puneet is currently working in Abu Dhabi as a specialist doctor. He continues to be in love with his hometown, Ranchi, where he was born and brought up. Essentially, he strives to take the positives from every situation and keep those around him in good spirits. He has a keen interest in reading, both Hindi and English. He dabbles in pencil sketches, oil paintings, poetry recitals, and has done the illustrations for his first book. He is an avid foodie and also loves mechanical watches and gadgets. His book Maths Copy: And Other Vignettes is his attempt to take people down memory lane through his own memories.

I chat with him about his book Maths Copy, how the book came to be, book recommendations, and much more.

Hello! Tell us a bit about yourself!

Hello! I am a person grateful to get the opportunity to speak about myself, which is what most people like anyways. I have been here for around 45 years, am a doctor by profession, but aspired to be so many things and continue to aspire to be some of those things still. I was born and brought up in Ranchi, the city made infinitely more famous by the legendary MS Dhoni. After completing my intermediate schooling, I pursued MBBS at BJ Medical College, Pune. I subsequently did my Post graduation and another specialization in Mumbai and have been practising Medicine for the last 17 years. I have been based in Abu Dhabi since 2014. Apart from this, I am also defined by my parents, who are doctors. They are retired and live in my beloved hometown. My wife is a doctor too and I have two children, a daughter and a son.

Which authors and books were your early formative influences?

I consider myself fortunate to have studied until matriculation in the ICSE system of education which introduced me to various authors through their English curriculum. There were many who left a mark including William Shakespeare, Somerset Maugham, Jerome K Jerome, Dr A C Doyle, Charles Dickens, Mulk Raj Anand, Oscar Wilde, Roald Dahl, Jules Verne, HG Wells, Ray Bradbury, Avery Taylor, PG Wodehouse, Mark Twain and many more. The two who influenced me most though, are Ruskin Bond and R K Narayan.

If you could only describe your book Maths Copy: And Other Vignettes in five words, what would they be?

Earnest, Honest, Innocent, Emotional, Reflective.

Now tell us a little more about the book! What can readers expect?

Thank you for the interest to begin with. What the readers are most likely to encounter is an innocent look at the world from a child’s perspective; the coming of age events in a youth’s life; a few perspectives from a doctor’s vantage point; a few observations about life in general; a realization of what losing a friend might mean; and one – just one – fictional short story.

What inspired you to write this book?

One day, at the very beginning of this pandemic, when people everywhere and doctors in particular were struggling to make sense and cope with it, I was returning home from one of my initial duties in the COVID ICU after a long shift. I saw some people exit a sweet shop apparently after purchases in preparation for an upcoming festival. Where I was coming from, I had seen death doing a mad dance, creating mayhem for those in the ICU. And here were these people, blissfully unaware of what was going on only a short distance away from them. This difference struck me as so stark that I released my stress by penning down my thoughts. Then as we gradually got a grip on the situation, I began writing about events that have stuck with me. This worked as a stress reliever for me and here I am, having compiled them in the form of a book. 

Can you tell our readers about some interesting episodes from your life or nostalgic anecdotes, which find a place in this book?

There are many. I had once forgotten the eponymous maths copy at home when I was supposed to take it to school for a test. What happened thereafter was, to my mind, something I could share. I once missed my train on my way home from Pune during my MBBS days. I had little money and a long distance to travel. To me it was quite an adventure. I had a close family friend whose younger son was diagnosed with mental illness. How he coped was a study in irony itself.

There are a few more.

What do you hope readers will take away from reading this book?

I hope the readers will visit their own childhood through the events that took place in my life, for essentially most of us have had similar lives and have been part of this great country that is India. I also hope some of my observations will find some resonance in their thoughts. If they can identify even a little bit with me through my writing, I will consider it a success.

How have you been coping with the current pandemic and what will be the new normal for you post it?

With time, I have learnt to cope much better. Having been at the forefront fighting the pandemic and seeing death up and so close, you tend to get numbed after some time. With time, pandemic fatigue also sets in, with the likelihood of one letting one’s guard down regarding personal protective measures. Learning to accept that it is an inescapable part of life and something that cannot be simply wished away is the only way forward.

What are you reading currently? Do you have any book recommendations for our readers?

Every now and then, I go back to reading Ruskin Bond’s short stories. It takes me to the hills and back in time as well. I tend to look at the smaller things in life and take joy in them as well as look at the not so agreeable aspects of life in the eye. I also recommend a short story by Avery Taylor titled ‘Remember the Roses’. I think it is a fantastic piece of writing.

The book ‘Maths Copy: And Other Vignettes’ is available online and at your nearest bookstore.