Kashmiri teen picks up pen, reaches for the stars

His family wanted him to be an engineer, but western music and books were his first love. He dropped out of engineering college to pursue his passion of writing, much to the chagrin of his family.

A year and half later, the 19-year-old Faheem Bhat has made his parents proud by penning one of the best selling English novels in Kashmir.

For a debutante, it was a dream come true when his first novel, `Wandering for Love' was released on different e-commerce sites where he shared space with top-notch writers. The icing on the cake? It will now debut in bookfairs across Delhi and Chennai in January 2018.

Published by Notion Press, the novel is set in America and revolves around a young man who loses faith in reality and takes refuge to fiction. "Wandering for Love is not about romance. It is actually the love for books. It is a story about a young man who escapes reality. It is about a reverse psychology," said Faheem.

Born to a business family in the old city, Faheem has always been passionate about reading books. Listening to western songs and taking down the lyrics was his passion.

After completing his matriculation, he was enrolled in an engineering college for diploma in computer sciences. Faheem could not cope with engineering and ultimately opted out after the first semester itself.

"It shattered the confidence of my parents. They wanted me to prioritise academics. I focussed on writing instead and contacted my publishers. I needed Rs 65,000, which I did not have. So, I started editing the blogs and novel of my friend and earned Rs 20,000. My sisters pooled in some more and I borrowed the rest," he said.

It took him one and half years to write the novel. "Now my father is happy and is helping me repay my loans," Faheem said.

Not letting stardom get to him, Faheem has already decided the theme of his second novel. "I am planning to write fiction and will hopefully start the work soon," he said