PVLF 2025

Interview with Ram s. Verma Author of a Journey Of Dreams

A Journey of Dreams tells Anubhav’s pursuit of his dream job, facing struggles and discovering success through perseverance and self-growth.
on Oct 18, 2024

Ram Verma is a Vice President - Software Engineering with JP Morgan Chase & Co., a leading financial institution worldwide and a leader in the banking and wealth management industry. Ram can usually be found reading a book that will more likely be world history, ancient civilizations, and people who made a difference in society and the world. Ram loves cooking, social media, eco-travel, sports, and otherwise spends far too much time at the computer. His friends often call him a rising philosopher. He lives in Middletown, DE, with his wife and two kids.

Frontlist: Can you share more about the protagonist’s journey? What challenges or obstacles do they encounter while chasing their dreams?

Ram S. Verma: "A Journey of Dreams" is a story about a young boy from a small village of Satna named Anubhav and its hero's journey as he flees his father's house after completing his engineering degree from a college in Jabalpur on a quest for a dream job of becoming a Software Engineer in a global IT company. He meets many colorful characters on the way and travels to different cities to look for a prospect, such as Pune, Hyderabad, and Mumbai. He experiences hardship and failures, success falls in love, and, most importantly, learns the power of discovering his own personal legend and pursuing it with heart. The characters he meets and the challenges along the way teach him many valuable lessons about life.

The first lesson he learned is there is a divine power in committing to your dreams and showing you a path. Anubhav learned three things from the challenges he faced in Pune, the first city he went to pursue his dreams. The first and most important thing is that when you desire something, the world conspires against you, and the process of pursuing your dream as your legend begins. He falls into the hands of fraudulent job consultancies and false job promises, and this gives him the ability to recognize truth versus lie.

Second, when you commit to your dreams, your path you will find ways to overcome the obstacles you encounter, nothing can stop you.

Third, your beliefs will show you the path. Anubhav strongly believed in astrology and it obliged him to keep driving along when there was no one to show him a way.
When Anubhav was seeing IT companies in Pune to look for a job, he met a beggar. Anubhav offered him food, spending the limited money he had, but he was robbed for his generosity. Anubhav reflected upon his gullibility and the ease with which he was robbed and thought to himself, "I am like everyone else. I see the world in terms of what I want to see happen, not does."

The next challenge and lesson is to be bold and make decisions by reflecting on some good fortune and how the divine power guided him through seemingly random situations. He met a girl, Ridhima, and fell in love with her. This made him discover that 'The happiest moments in life come in the darkest season of time.' However, misfortune and constant failures remained a never-ending story. Anubhav saw that his dreams would not come true working as a computer faculty member, and his longing to find love was the actual motivation for joining a computer training institute, but it was never his dream. He thought, "Am I a smug, satisfied with what I got by the virtue of fortune, or an adventurer who does not admit defeat?" The hero chose the latter and moved to Hyderabad to restart his journey of becoming a software engineer.

He next challenge is our biases are powerful, and we are constantly searching for affirmation of what we believe. Anubhav's belief in astrology was nothing but that confirmation. In Hyderabad, he was denied a job opportunity despite qualifying in the initial rounds of interviews.

Be flexible and allow yourself room to grow to see what is really in front of you. You are sure to face unforeseeable obstacles that you can't plan for. At this point, you have a choice. You can view each obstacle as an opportunity to learn or a reason to give up.

There grew a moment when his spirit sank into a bottomless pit, and he thought of ending his life. Then, the divine power encountered him with the self-destruction of a taxi driver. Look at the lesson in the pain; it is there, but you must be willing to see it. 'Death does not have the solution to any problem, but life does. Only life allows us to address every situation.'

In the next lesson, don't focus on the result; focus on the process. Anubhav did a menial job in a housing society. They met a mentor called Fauiji and understood that 'One should not live in the past; the past is dead, and it’s the haunt of the ghost'. This was not his destiny but a home to rebuild his dreams and get him out of the past and pain. While he was working to convert the misfortune into opportunity, he came to know from his friends that he had been offered a position as a software engineer in a company in Mumbai.

The final and most important lesson from the protagonist's journey of struggles is that success is a journey. People don't find success when they seek only results; success comes from living your personal legend, the journey, and what's learned along the way. The process is often much more valuable than the end result you find at the end of the journey.

Anubhav became a software engineer in a leading multinational company. Still, his true success lies in the life lessons he discovered on the roller coaster journey of a village herder to become a software engineer and his dream job.

Frontlist: How did you incorporate elements of realism and fantasy into your story? Were there any challenges in balancing these two aspects?

Ram S. Verma: Incorporating both realism and fantasy into a story involves balancing grounded, relatable elements with creative elements. I started by creating a believable world of relatable characters that readers can connect with. In the story 'A Journey of Dreams,' I began with Anubhav and his family and then fantasized about the life of an ordinary village herder and a farming family, and then a fantasy to get rid of their poverty. Likewise, I set stories in the familiar cities of Pune and Hyderabad, describing real-world job struggles like misleading job promises by job consultants, cheating jobless youths to make money, and daily challenges to get a career opportunity.

This grounds the reader in something they understand. I continued writing the stories preserving consistency by restricting rules for each fantasy piece and applying limitations. For example, I used fantasy to amplify themes in the story but used real world situations of the inferiority complex of a person or the feeling of being isolated, and corruption involved in society.

The most challenging part of balancing the two aspects was maintaining internal consistency. The consistency in storytelling bridges realism and fantasy into your story. I tried to be consistent by figuring out the secondary effects on stories before and after composing a particular event during the journey of the protagonist. Remember, a new narrative building should not contradict your past or future narratives in the story.

Frontlist: How do you delve into the psychological complexities of the protagonist & supporting characters? Are there any hidden motivations or unconscious desires that drive their behavior?

Ram S. Verma: To delve into the psychological complexities of the protagonist and supporting characters, I concentrated on developing characters that feel real by exploring their inner lives in a layered and nuanced way.
I created the protagonist and supporting characters whose psychological depth mirrors real human complexity, with all their contradictions, fears, desires, and growth. The story of Anubhav's struggle delves into intricate human emotions, crafting a character whose feelings evolve organically.

The protagonist of my story has conflicting and hidden desires, which makes the character more complex. Anubhav wanted to see his dream come true but feared the vulnerability that came with it, he longed for love but sabotaged his relationship with Ridhima due to fear of rejection and constant feelings of inadequacy and insecurity in his daily life due to a belief that his family is financially inferior to others. These internal conflicts create suspense and drive character development.

The protagonist’s surface goal was to climb the corporate ladder, but deeper down, he wanted to prove his worth to his parent and society.

The goal is for readers to not only understand the characters but also feel invested in the personal journey of their susceptibility and dreams.

Frontlist: Dreams can feel very personal and sometimes unrealistic. How do you approach addressing sensitive topics in your writing to impart wisdom and knowledge while not hurting their sentiments?

Ram S. Verma: First and foremost, it requires courage and wisdom to address sensitive topics in your writing that control others' sentiments. It requires a balance of empathy, respect, and care, especially when imparting wisdom or deeper messages. I approach understanding the emotional impact of my writing on others: At first, I try to understand the emotional weight of the sensitive topic I’m dealing with, whether it’s grief, trauma, mental health, identity, or societal issues. This helps me approach it with genuine compassion and avoid dismissiveness or over-simplification.

To avoid harm, I steer clear of stereotypes or one-dimensional portrayals. Instead, I approach each character’s experience as unique, layered, and nuanced. This prevents the story from becoming insensitive or unintentionally hurtful.

Last but not least, I focus on authentic representation, and at the same time I don't let others choose a path for my writing. Other people regardless of their success can not tell you what your ideal is, only you can discover your story. Don't let the cynics or the critics dissuade you from achieving your goals, you should follow your fantasies. No one gets hurt by facts and realities.

Frontlist: Were there any specific books, authors, or personal experiences that shaped your writing style or influenced how you approached this story? Moreover, how did you approach writing this book?

Ram S. Verma: Well, the story 'A Journey of Dreams' is not a thought of daylight. It's a reflection of my learning and observations for years. I strongly believe that a good story can not be written without external influence and self-experience. Several influences shaped my writing, from the books I read to personal experiences that resonate deeply with my quest to uncover the definition of success.

Books and authors that influenced my style:

Chris Gardner: In his book, 'The Pursuit of Happyness' Gardner's ability to weave together deeply personal, misfortune, and chronological threads into complex narratives influenced how I approach character development and thematic depth. His work taught me to explore the unspoken, subconscious layers of identity and trauma while allowing space for beauty and resilience.

Paulo Coelho: His book 'The Alchemist' showed me how to delve deeply into a character’s internal world. His focus on inner consciousness, the quest to find a hidden treasure, and following one's dream inspired me to explore psychological complexity in characters through inner monologue and reflective narrative techniques.

Personal experience:

Emotional Journeys: Personal struggles with identity, belonging, or loss often inform how I approach my characters’ emotional landscapes. When writing about sensitive topics like grief, anxiety, or trauma, I draw from personal reflections and observations, allowing me to connect authentically with the emotions of the characters.

Dreams and Surreal Experiences: Like many, my dreams are often a source of creative inspiration. The surreal nature of dreams has helped me incorporate elements of the fantastical into otherwise realistic settings. These dreamlike sequences provide insight into the subconscious, enabling characters to confront fears or unresolved emotions in symbolic ways.

Cultural Experiences and Heritage: Depending on my personal background and cultural influences also shaped the story. For example, exploring my own heritage from a farming and military family background or reflecting on issues like migration to the USA and working in the IT industry lend depth and specificity to the themes of stories, characters, and places in the story.

Frontlist: On the occasion of World Mental Health Day, what advice would you give to aspiring writers or dreamers who are pursuing their own passions? How can they maintain their mental well-being while facing challenges and setbacks?

Ram S. Verma: On World Mental Health Day, it's important to recognize the emotional and mental challenges that come with pursuing a creative passion like writing or chasing dreams in any field. Here’s some advice for aspiring writers or dreamers focused on maintaining mental well-being while staying true to their passion.

Be kind to yourself and avoid comparing yourself to others. Everyone’s journey is unique, and comparing your progress to others can create unnecessary pressure. Focus on your growth and celebrate even the small victories. Writing and pursuing your passion is a personal process, and there’s no set timeline for success.

Set boundaries for your mental health, and balance work and rest. Passion can sometimes lead to burnout if we push ourselves too hard. Make sure to set aside time for rest and relaxation. Writing or following your dream is important, but so is your mental health. Know when to take breaks and recharge.

Finally, setbacks and uncertainty in the field of creative writing or any other are inevitable, whether it’s the outcome of a project or the path your career will take. Embrace the unpredictability and trust the process, knowing that growth comes with perseverance and adaptability.