1.3: Rajat Ubhaykar - Travelling from Kashmir to Kanyakumari in Trucks

What's it like spending your days in trucks without devices to keep you company and how do you make a book out of that?

Tara and Michelle are joined by Rajat Ubhaykar, the author of Truck de India! Did you know he wrote this book after spending months on the road travelling with ‘truckies’ all over India to get a glimpse into their lives? Rajat talks to us about his experience practically hitchhiking across India without a plan, encountering all sorts of different characters and stories, and everything he learned from his experience.

We ask him everything – from what sparked his desire to embark on such an incredible journey to the challenges he faced and what a day on the road was actually like. What did his parents think? Did he ever get bored? How did he deal with the uncertainties and dangers posed by his journey?

We explore Rajat’s unique experiences through hilarious anecdotes, insightful observations and fun facts. We talk about powerful topics like privilege, history and art, the Indian truck economy and Rajat’s favourite travel destinations. From his book deal to his editing process, Rajat tells us everything – like the fact that he doesn’t believe in the concept of drafts, how he chose the right beta readers for his book and the inspiration behind his book cover.

'Books and Beyond with Bound' is a podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D'costa talk to some of the best writers in India and find out what makes them tick.

Rajat Ubhaykar trained as an electrical engineer at IIT Kanpur and went on to study journalism at the Asian College of Journalism after a stint in management consulting. A recipient of the PoleStar Award in 2016 for his reportage, his work has appeared in publications such as Mint, Outlook Business, Roads & Kingdoms, and Madras Courier. He lives in Mumbai and spends his spare time reviewing books, collecting trivia, and exploring India's archaeological sites. Truck de India is his first book.

You can get your copy of his book here-

https://www.amazon.in/Truck-India-Hitchhikers-guide-Hindustan-ebook/dp/B07Y8R2YXY

Tune in every Wednesday for a new episode.

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‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms.