House Of Solitude
GoodHomes|March 2018

Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi on the house where he wrote his bestselling novel, The Last Song of Dusk. In an exclusive to GoodHomes, he narrates three pieces on the subject of our cover story: his family house.

House Of Solitude

In 2002, I returned from California to Bombay. A love affair had bombed. I was to start on a master’s degree in San Francisco the following year — a scholarship had been secured. Interim, I had a year to kill. My father, the practical Gujurati, insisted I get a job – perhaps as a reporter. My mother said, ‘You don’t need to leave the house. Why don’t you start a pizza parlour in the garage?’

Around that time Hrithik Roshan, who grew up in the same neighbourhood, went from totally awkward badminton playing teenager I’d seen at Juhu Gymkhana, and transformed into a world-class, nipple-flashing film star. One of my school contemporaries, whose kindergarten achievement had been target urinating in Limca bottles, distinguished himself not only by marrying but also begetting a child the same year.

Folks in my neighbourhood were flashing the absence of chest hairs, and the presence of heirs.

Meanwhile, I was nursing a broken heart and quarrelling with my mother – no, I did not want her mami’s recipe for pizza sauce; and yes, this made me a bloody ingratiate. I retreated to my room in the house, the photographs of which grace this magazine. I sat before a manuscript I’d finished two years prior. My novel was a love story of sorts, a marriage under threat, a young woman whipping into her sexual and artistic own, the shadow of music on their lives — these were key strands. I wrote all day, then deep into night; I edited like the demon was in me; I revised everything. I had charts. There were diary entries I revisited. In four months, I brought into being the story that later brought me into writerly existence: The Last Song of Dusk was completed in this house. From the fate of the house, from its invisible veins and ventricles, its secret cloacal, a book came to be.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة March 2018 من GoodHomes.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة March 2018 من GoodHomes.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من GOODHOMES مشاهدة الكل
Nature is calling
GoodHomes India

Nature is calling

Anuja Marudgan transcends the mundane with the design of this residence in Pune

time-read
1 min  |
April - May 2024
Around the curves
GoodHomes India

Around the curves

Infusing timeless allure with contemporary opulence, Deepak Gugarii of Studio VDGA transforms a four-bedroom home into a soothing haven

time-read
1 min  |
April - May 2024
Whispers of Quietude
GoodHomes India

Whispers of Quietude

This home in Thane by Sparc Design is rooted in restraint and simplicity featuring interplay of natural materials, earthy hues and playful forms

time-read
1 min  |
April - May 2024
A REAL PAGE-TURNER
GoodHomes India

A REAL PAGE-TURNER

With a focus on the family's voracious love for reading, Concepto Studio designs this villa in Bengaluru with cosy and stylish nooks that any bookworm would love to curl up in

time-read
1 min  |
April - May 2024
From vision to reality...
GoodHomes India

From vision to reality...

For the design of this home in Sarjapura, Bengaluru, Studio Mass Architecture creates a bright, airy space that echoes with muted luxury

time-read
1 min  |
April - May 2024
THE ESSENCE OF LUXURY
GoodHomes India

THE ESSENCE OF LUXURY

Varun Goyal champions a minimalist design language to ensure the sea view is the main highlight of this home in Colaba, Mumba

time-read
1 min  |
April - May 2024
Heritage Haven
GoodHomes India

Heritage Haven

Studio Ipsa designs this home with a melange of patterns, textures and bright tones, stitched with locally-sourced materials

time-read
1 min  |
April - May 2024
100 DAYS OF SUMMER
GoodHomes India

100 DAYS OF SUMMER

Swap those winter blues for sunny hues and join us as we dive into the coolest tips and tricks to transform your home into a chilled summer sanctuary

time-read
2 mins  |
April - May 2024
Echoes of Tradition
GoodHomes India

Echoes of Tradition

Manish Kumat revives indigenous craftsmanship and artisanal techniques through the design of this home

time-read
1 min  |
April - May 2024
Inspired by the unexpected
GoodHomes India

Inspired by the unexpected

An eclectic fusion of colour, texture and material forms the unusual foundation for this stylish Mumbai home

time-read
1 min  |
April - May 2024