At the World Book Fair 2026, One Conversation Felt Different

New Delhi | World Book Fair, Bharat Mandapam, The World Book Fair is a place built on movement. People drift from aisle to aisle, pausing briefly at tables, listening to pitches, flipping pages, and moving on. Authors speak about their work. Publishers explain why a book matters. Most interactions are quick, purposeful, and designed to leave an impression.

Amid this constant flow, one table felt different.

There wasn’t a huge crowd gathered around it, no author addressing an audience, no visible attempt to draw attention. Instead, the author decided to engaged in a calm, focused discussion.

It did not look like a launch. It looked like a conversation that had already begun.

A Moment That Did Not Announce Itself

Those who noticed this exchange often did so accidentally. They slowed down out of curiosity, then stayed longer than expected. The author was not explaining the book in neat terms. He was responding to questions, clarifying ideas, and allowing pauses to stretch without rushing to fill them.

His posture was composed, with measured gestures and there was no sense of performance. The book was never lifted from the table to display. Rather, it was present as a subject of discussion rather than an object being showcased.

In a space where visibility often equals success, this restraint stood out.

What Sangram Seeks to Explore

Sangram does not fit easily into familiar categories. It is reflective, but not instructive. Philosophical, but not abstract. The book examines six recurring inner conflicts that shape human behaviour, not as moral failings, but as patterns that repeat across situations and lifetimes.

Drawing from Indic thought and narratives rooted in the Mahabharat, the writing does not attempt to extract lessons or conclusions. Instead, it presents situations that allow readers to recognise their own responses. The emphasis remains on observation rather than change.

There are no affirmations or solutions, or even advice offered. The book does not tell the reader what to do next. It asks them to notice what is already happening within them.

This approach explains why Sangram does not lend itself to quick summaries, making it resist being reduced to a message or a pitch

Why the Setting Mattered

At a book fair, context shapes perception. Titles are often encountered briefly, filtered through descriptions and recommendations. What made this moment around Sangram distinct was the absence of that mediation.

The book was not being introduced, it was being examined.

People who joined the discussion did not ask how the book would help them. They asked what it was observing. Others listened quietly, then picked up the book, read a page or two, and returned it to the table without comment.

There was no urgency to buy or pressure to respond. The interaction unfolded at its own pace.

In a space filled with conclusions, this openness felt rare.

A Book That Refuses Closure

One of the more unusual aspects of Sangram is how it ends. The book concludes at the point of recognition, where patterns become visible but are not resolved. It does not offer a sense of completion.

For readers accustomed to closure, this can feel unsettling. Yet it aligns with the book’s central idea. Awareness, the book suggests, is not the same as resolution. Recognition is not an endpoint.

The author spoke about the work in similar terms. He did not frame it as a finished journey, but as a starting point for continued observation. The conversation reflected this openness, leaving space for uncertainty rather than attempting to resolve it.

Standing Apart Without Seeking Attention

While most books at the fair worked hard to be noticed, Sangram waited quietly. Its presence relied on patience rather than persuasion.

This did not make it invisible. It made it selective.

Those who connected with the book did so because they were willing to slow down. They were not looking for instructions or inspiration. They were open to reflection.

To walk past that table was not to miss a major event. It was to miss a quieter moment, one that did not announce its importance.

Beyond the Fair

The World Book Fair provided a setting, not a destination. The discussion around Sangram did not depend on the fair, or even on the author’s presence. It depended on the reader’s willingness to engage without expectation.

• For those who were not present, the book remains available digitally and in paperback.
• In a world where most books promise change, Sangram offers something else: the space to observe.
• Some books ask to be read quickly. Others ask to be noticed carefully.
• Sangram belongs to the second kind.
• To purchase SANGRAM or to enter deeper into this idea, visit shrivrindavanras.com.