Dead End

This collection presents stories of people shaped by, caught up in, and continuing to live through the terrifying, illusory dimensions of time and space. It is an unsettling account of the human world in the age of technology. The metropolis and the middle-class perspective form the canvas of these stories, while human frailty in all its forms constitutes their lifeblood.

The stories draw upon the final death throes of an old world as it crumbles and is razed to the ground. These six-faceted narratives offer a tragic vision of humanity in the present age. They explore every form of decline, the alienation and loneliness hidden beneath material comfort, the end of ideologies, the eruption of consumerism, the incompleteness of chasing desires and the frustration that follows, the pimping and profiteering prevalent in every sphere, ominous signs of the future, helplessness and depression, and the tensions that erupt between individuals, within families, and between individuals and society.

These are explosive tales of sorrow, born out of the strains and stresses of human existence. They offer a profound and disturbing realization that reality is not one-dimensional but multifaceted. They also portray a world in which diverse illusions have transformed into reality.

Kurulkar's stories are tightly constructed and layered with multiple meanings. Their narrative structure often resembles that of a novella, reaching towards the expansive scope of a novel. The recurring points of reference at the end of these stories—the screams, the cries (sometimes expressed through silence), and the tears—lend them the character of tragic tales steeped in pathos. Sudden, unforeseen dramas of death form the very core of these narratives.

Kurulkar's stories are deeply confessional in nature and multifaceted in their perspectives. Their endings remain open and expansive, and the author shows no partiality towards any of the characters. These are, therefore, heart-wrenching stories of people who seem to ask, “Why does everyone in this city look so troubled?”

These are stories of people standing on the precipice of annihilation at the dawn of the new century, confronting the dead ends of their existence. They compel readers to introspect.

— Randhir Shinde