Past Kósmos: The Exordium by Jayant Chopra

Led by his millennial anxiety, macabre neighbors, and constant chanting, Jugnu Chawla teleports to a parallel world known as the Wailing Wrath. There, he discovers he is responsible for torching half of Delhi. Furthermore, he is gifted with the ability known as Aag Jaal, which lifts everything around off the ground and reduces it to ashes within seconds. Jugnu is presented with a grueling choice: to either reign as a supreme being in the cooked-up parallel world or go back to his atrocious world and face his bloodthirsty neighbors.

I'll try not to spoil the major events of the story, but this review will contain some minor spoilers.

'One spark starts a fire' is a common phrase, but what happens when that metaphorical fire becomes literal and creates a parallel reality? That's what happens when Jugnu Chawla's anger fueled by injustice and misfortune, reaches a boiling point. Like most readers, I too look out for unique stories that not only defy cliches, but also embrace familiar mythological and philosophical concepts by blending them with the modern realities of Kaliyuga. Last month I reviewed 'Mahabharat 2025' by Divyansh Mundra. While Mundra's text is characterised as a high fantasy with charismatic Bollywood-style villains, Chopra's text delves into the banality of evil through magical realism. Exploring the banality of evil is quite relevant and relatable in this story as many evils have been normalised in the age of Kaliyuga. At the beginning of this story, the villains aren't some mustache-twirling demons who are out to murder Jugnu's family because they have a larger-than-life plan that will decide the fate of their world. After all, this is what some people might expect from a story that promises to explore a world that is nearing an apocalypse. But that's not the case as the BIG problem that sets everything in motion is a feud with neighbours over shifting a water tank. All families in Rajouri Garden's 27th building were expected to pay INR 20,15,000 to get the job done, but his family refused, leading to a series of events that real the true nature of their neighbours, but their friends, family and society in general. The local authorities, including the police and advocates did not help them. Even the family friends and relatives showed their true colours by abandoning them. These events shook Jugnu's faith in humanity, but somehow brought him closer to his god. His prayers reached out to Waheguru, and one day he found himself in a parallel reality after embarking on a small, yet fateful journey to a new rooftop restaurant in a mall. As expected, the parallel world was very different from his own world as it was under threat of a fiery destructive force called the 'Aag Jaal' which decimates people into ashes. This violent force destroys the sense of normalcy and creates a new system where people guard their homes using Iron rods and sheets and take special permission from government bodies to leave their homes. The army and police work together to protect the citizens who are forced to survive in a world with fear and heavy inflation. At this point, Jugnu has to make a critical decision. To control his anger to prevent another Aag Jaal attack or to drown in his emotions and seek revenge. The decision is not as easy as it seems, as there are some unexpected enemies and surprises waiting for him in the original world, and trust me, you guys are not ready to see what happens next!

I don't want to spoil much, but as these events unfold, you'll get to see some strong parallels and contrasts between the powerful yet destructive nature of rage and the calm yet calculated nature of an enlightened mind. Even as the story heads towards a climax, it leans more towards the supernatural part of the story, as some absurd elements from the first half of the novel begin to make more sense. I really like how this novel is friendly for global readers, as Chopra provides context and explanation for all cultural details in the story. From describing dishes to simplifying some complex Indian philosophies, including the cycle of Karma and Moksha, this story has it all. If you're looking for a unique story that deals with the evils of society while blending it with spiritual philosophies and high fantasy, then this book is for you! Bold, thrilling and emotional, I'd like to give this story a rating of 3.5/5.

Critique and Spoilers (There are some heavy spoilers below, so I'd recomment you guys to revisit this section after reading at least 7 chapters of the novel.)

While the novel's narrative is pretty strong, I wish Jugnu's family got better characterization beyond their reactions and the father's backstory at the beginning of the story. For instance, the readers are told that Jugnu's mother likes cleanliness, but that trait never becomes too relevant to the story. The family is an integral part of the story, and giving them some depth would have elevated an already brilliant story. For instance, what did the family really feel about having their son's doppelganger living in their house? How did they accept the fact that Jugnu suddenly has these dangerous powers? The readers are told that they are in distress, but just being told did not mean much. So I think the 'show, not tell philosophy' should have been integral to the novel's narrative.