It is always said that one should be careful and concerned about the actions they do and the aftereffects those actions can have on a person’s life. Since time immemorial, the karmic theory has been known worldwide, and people have seen how it works. Pankaj Lochan, in his collection of short stories, “Sigma: as life sums it all..” brings many instances and stories that revolve around one thought, which is to show Karma works in a world that is far away from thinking about it.
It is interesting to observe the careful manner in which the author picks the title for his collection. It may intrigue the readers at one point, but this becomes a powerful factor that attracts them to the book instantly. They have multiple questions in their mind as to what the author is going to talk about in the book. The opting for the mode of short stories makes the book quite exciting for the readers. The author mentions in the preface,
“This is my first work of fiction, but the driver remains the same as all my previous technical books – analyzing and working on (managing) the ‘cause’ to improve the ‘effect’!”
As they begin to read through the work, they notice the stories the author has chosen to write and the manner in which he places them. He may have kept as many as 7 stories in his collection, but each story successfully reinforces the message that the author has his focus on. The stories vary in terms of length and also the times they depict. Some show time leaps, while some show the distance leaps. But the fact that can not be ignored is that the author faithfully depicts the ways of the world and their getting the best of their actions. This element of realism makes Lochan’s work even more potent. At the same time, the thorough and honest depiction of human nature also makes “Sigma” universal and realistic. Human nature can never change, and hence, the relevance of his work can not be reduced in any year or time it is read. In light of this, the author successfully shows the cause and effect relationship that pertains to human lives and how lives revolve around it.
Lochan keeps his characters from routine everyday life and places them in situations that humans would generally face at any point in time. This makes the stories more relatable for the readers, and from time to time, they nod or disagree with the moves and actions of the characters. As they finish each story, there is a kind of conclusion or moral given at the end which sums up all that they have read, and even if they may not have understood the story, they are able to comprehend with the help of the conclusion. The stories successfully retain the readers’ trust in karma and how life is an equalizer for all. No matter what one does, they get the best of their actions, and the readers agree with that without any disagreement.
At the same time, the situations and plots that the author constructs are placed majorly in the heart of towns away from metropolitans. The action may swing between metropolitan and other cities, but the core of the action is away from the metros. This increases the social relevance of the book and opens it to be read from a sociological point of view. Since the work is realistic and so close to life, “Sigma” appears to be a product of the impressions of a contemporary world where reality is the real deal. The author chooses the medium of short stories to share the different lives and situations he may have witnessed or heard of. This opens the book to all kinds of readers. All stories keep the readers engaged and by the time they reach the end of each story, there is a sense of satisfaction and also a learning of what may have been ignored by them. All fiction readers who may be wanting to venture into short story reading may take “Sigma” as a book to begin with. To add on, the language the author uses is meant to cater to the needs of any reader. Whether a grown-up reader or a younger reader, all can read and relate to the stories that the author shares. The book has been published by Evincepub Publishing. The elders may find the author’s experience reflecting through his writing, while the younger readers may find an abundance of wisdom and plenty of learning through the words of Lochan. They may also find the book suitable to be placed at their bedside, which they can go back to every now and then and read the stories again to attain the wisdom the author imparts and to understand how karma does and will continue to operate in human lives based on their actions.
Pankaj is a writer, music enthusiast and a philanthroper who is very passionate about climate change initiatives at fundamental level. He grew up with parents who always taught him the larger meaning of life and ensured he was observant to the extraordinary in seemingly ordinary things and people in life. Pankaj feels that his wife Piyusha and daughter Prisha bring out the best in him and his writing.
Professional Background: Mr Pankaj Lochan has more than 2 decades of experience with organizations like Tata Steel, Dr Reddy’s and JSW Group. He joined his current role as Executive Director & Group CHRO with JSPL from Ambuja Cements where he was working as President – Manufacturing. He has worked in various functions like Manufacturing, Projects, Human Resource, Research & Development, and Business Transformation etc. Pankaj is an engineer by profession and holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from IIT-BHU and has also done his management education program from IIM Ahmedabad. Pankaj has authored several books in the field of TQM and HR and holds several patents and copyrights in the field of manufacturing and Total Quality Management. He is a Master-black-belt in Six Sigma and also trained in other improvement methodologies like Lean, TOC and TPM. Pankaj has also been trained on Open Innovations from the Haas School, Berkley and on TQM from Japanese Union of Scientists & Engineers (JUSE), Tokyo.
