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| Source: Goodreads |
1) The
Client by Vinit K Bansal : Story of a young prostitute, Riva, who finds true
love unexpectedly. But her previous experiences with men make her wary of
trusting anyone who tries to find a place in her heart. Will Riva get a second
chance in love?
The
story starts on a promising note (or should I say plot), meanders a little in
the middle and then tries to pick up the pace towards end of the story. But I
was a little disappointed with the overall impact of the story on the reader.
Rating:
3/5
2) Moksha
by Kunal Marathe: Can a man kill a woman, whom he loves the most? Would you
believe a man if he tells you that he killed a woman because he loved her to
death? Isn’t that ironic? But that’s the story of Arshadeep who killed the
woman of his dreams in cold blood.
The
suspense that this story builds up in the first few paragraphs is immense and
as a reader your expectations naturally soars high but as the story progresses
it does leave you a little disappointed with the plot.
Rating:
3/5
3) When
Destiny Strikes by Mahi Singla: Gunjan is comfortably settled after marrying a
rich business tycoon and she feels blessed to have a caring husband and a
doting son. But her destiny would have been different if not for her best
friend Payal. But has destiny been kind to Payal?
I
loved the eye for detail that the author has stuck to when portraying the characters
in the story. It’s a simple narration but it manages to keep the reader’s interest
riveted to the story. I loved the message that the author managed to put across
through this story.
Rating:
3.5/5
4) The
Woman Who Waited by Shailini Katyal: When Ashish ditched Madhumita and left her
in a lurch, she sunk into depression that pulled her in dismay like
quicksand. The more she tried to come out of it, the more she was pulled into
the whirlwind of misery. Will Madhumita ever fall in love again? Will she ever
be able to stop waiting for her love and move on with her life?
It’s
difficult to believe that during current times, when a relationship is made and
then broken over Facebook statuses, love that’s eternal and pure exists. The
author has wonderfully narrated the grief of a broken heart and one can feel empathy
towards the protagonist’s suffering.
Rating:
3/5
5) The
Pale Pigeon by Siddhartha Yadav : The story revolves around the 60-something
couple, Mohit and Richa, who after working hard to provide for their 3
children, are finally ready to settle into their peaceful retired life. But
their dreams are shattered when their son falls into debt and asks for his
parents’ help in his financial matters.
A
heart-touching story that leaves you feeling sorry for the old-couple Mohit and
Richa. Although in the beginning, the story reminds you of the film Baghban,
the ending of the story makes you wish that a little bit of the Karma from the
story ‘When Destiny Strikes’ would bite those children who treat their old
parents like filth.
Rating:
3/5
6) Hickey
by Heema Shirvaikar: I have lost count of the times when a random stranger
extended his hand to grope and I was stunned and shocked to react. But each
time I have felt dirty and guilty although I was never to blame. The story deals
with the stories that others’ leave on a woman’s skin and each story is a
bruise, a mark of violence that is left behind against the consent of a woman.
The
author has managed to delve deep into the psyche of a woman and ask some
uncomfortable questions that many women must have asked themselves at some
point in their life. The sensitivity
with which she tackles the subject of domestic violence and marital rape is
applaud-worthy. For me, this was the best story of this anthology.
Rating:
4/5
7) NCERT
of Love by Himanshu Chabra and Udita Pal: Himanshu and Udita are students in
Class 8th and they are hopelessly in love with each other. But their
not-so-clandestine romance falls into dangerous times when their teacher
interrupts a particularly intimate moment. Will their young love stand the test
of time or will it crumple like a stack of cards?
This
has to be the sweetest, cutest and funniest love story that I have read in
recent times. I liked the way the young love between the teenagers was narrated
through their love letters. And some instances where Himanshu explains how
Udita couldn’t get pregnant just by kissing are humorous.
Rating:
3.5/5
8) I’ll
Be there by Ishani Malhotra: After a heartbreak Sheena leaves everything behind
and goes for a vacation to mend her broken heart. But there she meets Sahil, a
hero in romantic films from the Eastern parts of India. And she falls headlong
into a relationship without any idea if the relationship had a future.
A
sweet story that has a positive but quite predictable ending. The plot has been
kept simple with not many twists. Overall a nice read.
Rating:
3/5
9) Dilemma
by Tarang Sinha: When Ashima, a divorcee, falls in love with Ronit she thinks
that her life couldn’t have been more perfect. But when her closest friend
dies, leaving behind her 4-year old daughter in Ashima’s care, she’s in a
dilemma. She does not want to hand over the child to orphanage but Ronit doesn’t
want her to take the responsibility of the child. What decision does Ashima
take in this juncture of her life?
This
is my second favorite story of the anthology which narrates the story of a
woman who stands by her principles and depicts a strong, independent woman who
can not only take care of her own life but can also stand tall when faced with
adversities. A wonderful read!
Rating:
4/5
10) 120
Minutes by Saravana Kumar Murugan: When Sid is stuck in a life and death
situation, all he wants is to reach home safely and hug his wife. The 120
minutes of uncertainty and his struggle to reach his abode safely forms the
crux of this story that almost seems like semi-autobiographical.
This
is a simple straight-forward story with an uncomplicated plot and a minimum of characters.
Although the central character is facing life and death situation the reader
does not get the feel of it. Also it would have been better if the story had
more of the wife’s perspective too and the anxiety that she felt knowing that
her husband was stuck somewhere in the storm.
Rating:
3/5
11) Love
and Sacrifices by Heena Ahuja & Meghant Parmar: The story of an Indian woman and a Scottish
man who fought a terrifying battle for the sake of their love. And this love
story is narrated through the words of their son who writes a book as a tribute
to his parents’ immortal love.
The
story, narrated in a flashback mode has lots of action sequences and made an
enjoyable read. But sometimes there’s too much going on, as if the authors have
tried squeezing in too many words within the limit. A pacy read it was!
Rating:
3/5
Overall
Rating: 3.5/5
Pros:
Although the central theme of this anthology was love and relationships, the
motley of stories touches all relationships in life which makes for a varied and enjoyable read.
Cons:
A few stories had too many grammatical mistakes, which takes away the beauty
of the otherwise heartrending tales.
This book was received through Goodreads Giveaway.
Thank you so much for such a nice review!:)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Prasanna!
ReplyDelete