India, April 4 -- I n the bustling corridors of power, conversations often revolve around policy and city planning. For Keshav Chandra, however, there exists another, quieter world he turns to - that of Hindi poetry. A 1995-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and chairman of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), Chandra's latest book, Surya se Purv ka Uttar, carries a title that is both poetic and intriguingly abstract. "The sun rises in the East. But I was thinking: what direction could be 'beyond' the sun?" he says. "I am looking for that space beyond the sun which acts as a beacon, where all directions emanate. What would be the direction of that space, and can the same definitions be applied to it? In poetry, you are looking for a space that is not generally known or explored," he adds. Chandra is far from a conventional bureaucrat. A sportsperson who enjoys golf and tennis, he is also a photographer, painter and author. His earlier work, When Turquoise Waters Turned Dark: An Illustrated History of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, offered a detailed exploration of the region's past. Balancing these pursuits with a demanding administrative role, he insists, comes down to discipline. "I never compromise my job for these hobbies. My job is my first priority. The secret is simple: I sleep less and wake up very early," he says. Despite his varied interests, Hindi remains central to his identity. "Hindi is the language to which we are umbilically attached. No matter where you go, if you were brought up in a Hindi-medium school, that early nurturing becomes an inseparable part of you," he says, tracing his love for the language back to his school and college years. Speaking of literary influences, he adds, "My favourite poets were Agyeya, Sarveshwar Dayal Saxena and Vinod Kumar Shukla, though Kedarnath Singh remains my favourite. I stayed connected to Hindi through them. I used to write on and off, sharing poems on Facebook for friends, but after finishing the Andaman book, I thought, 'Why not bring out a compilation?'" When asked what is more challenging, drafting a policy document or writing poetry, his answer is unequivocal. "Poetry is more challenging. A government letter or notice is demanding in its own way, but poetry must say something in a way that hasn't been attempted before. The style has to be original, not an imitation."...