London Awaits

About the Book

The day Prem had left India, with his young son, Aaravi, for London; it was one of the saddest days, in the Sharma family household, and all Prem’s relatives. Even Prem’s wife, Aarashi’s parents, brothers and sisters were sad at the airport to send them off abroad. As they went away, from their sight, sniffs with tears of sadness filled the air, as it marked a new beginning for father and son and an end of their life in India. Prem never knew that, the day at the airport, was the last time he would have seen his grandfather, alive, when he touched his feet, bowed as he left the airport through the departure gates. In London, Prem led a life of misery and struggled to find his feet. However, he made sure that Aaravi was enrolled at a reputable local school. They rented a little downtrodden little run-down basement flat, which was a in the outskirts, and cockroaches and mice played where the rubbish bins lay. He paid cheap rent, which is what he could afford, and they lived there for a wee while to get their footing. Not too long after, Aarashi, his wife, and Priya, his daughter, accompanied them in London. The family life once again began from its humble beginnings, and gradually they moved ahead, and their life took a turn. The second book, ‘London Awaits’ in which Prem takes great risks and challenges and set out into the shores of England. Here, he restarts a new life with his wife and three children, in the outskirts of London. It gives a broad spectrum about what is in store as Prem ventures out into an unknown into a new territory with new vision and adventures that is awaiting him. He therefore transcends himself into getting acquainted with a new culture in London, with enormous struggles with very humble beginnings. In essence the book exemplifies a family bond he always had with his motherland, India, although he and his family become highly westernized. With all the influence that had from their neighbours and friends, in a new country, their culture, religious beliefs and being Indian still remained their driving force, dear to their heart. The dream is realised, when Prem and his family sow the seeds for their future in a new country.

About the Author

My name is Pravin Maharaj, and the author of all six books. My ancestral roots were seeded in a little farm in Maudihaan, in the district of Rohtas, in the state of Bihar, in Eastern India. My great grandfather, left as an indentured labourer, in 1879, to South Africa, on British sailing ships, and his ship, which was called the HMS Truro. My grandfather and father and myself were all born in South Africa. I grew up and lived in South Africa and I had a love for writing, from a young age. When I was thirty-eight years old, living with the discriminatory laws in the apartheid era in South Africa, when non-whites were victimised and separated according to the race, creed and culture, that I left my mother country, and immigrated to New Zealand, where I reside currently. I studied and at the age of twenty, I graduated as a schoolteacher, and then quickly I was promoted as Senior leader, Deputy Principal and Principal at various schools both in South Africa and New Zealand. I had a short stint in the UAE as a Team Leader, after I was taken on contract to support American and other teachers from around the world, with the NZ curriculum and pedagogy, between 2014 and 2017. It is in the UAE, whence my flair for writing erupted, and it is here that I wrote 6 books, because I had lots of time available after school, which ended at 1.00pm, daily. It is funny, that I wrote novels as a past time, and at no time I had the intention to get them published. It happened by chance when, I was still in the UAE, for whatever reason, I had an email from Xlibris, and then Author House, with information about being an up-and-coming author and each one sent me an offer as a package deal, separately. On arrival to NZ, I started to read my stories, again, and rewrote many parts, and did a few edits. When I felt happy, I made fresh new contact with many publishing companies. This was the start of my communication with both publishing houses, and 8 years later, in 2022, my first book is in publishing sequence with Partridge, Author Solutions. The first book is entitled ‘Prem Kissa’. Currently I am still in the teaching profession after completing 45 years, so far, and on my way to retirement, and thereafter I will take up writing as a full-time hobby.