Interview : Siddhant Dwivedee Author of Rama’s Musings

IN Conversation With Siddhant Dwivedee


1. Tell me something more about yourself? You do a lot of things, stand-up comedy, creating content and now writing. How has the journey been?
It’s been an unusual journey, to say the least. I studied engineering, got a job in digital marketing & then decided I wanted to be a full time writer. I guess one thing led to another but in retrospect, it has also been quite the journey & I’m glad I took the road less travelled & decided to become a writer. Stand-up comedy is a more of a hobby, really – I like to get on stage and do an open mic or two when I get a chance.

2. The book deals with a very complicated yet interesting topic. What inspired you? From where the kick came?
When I started writing this novel back in college, I was heavily influenced by books like Filth by Irvine Welsh & I wanted to write about something intense – like an unlikely drug addiction or undiagnosed mental disorder. The Mahabharata itself was a huge inspiration too.

3. Being a comedian why you chose such dramatic theme to write. You could have hit the bull’s eye with a light comedy too. Any specific reason?

I’ve been a fan of the Mahabharata since I was a child. When I decide to write a novel, the go-to topic was the Mahabharata. Somewhere along the way I realized that the audience for a purely mythological novel would be very niche so I thought of adding a fictional element and that’s how the protagonist, Raghu was created.


4. Why do you think Mahabharata is the tale to adopt with ease?
The Mahabharata is my Star Trek. As a child, I used to watch the TV show every Sunday & my obsession with the characters and the story grew with time. I find its relevance today remarkable – the grey areas, the moral conflicts and the flawed nature of protagonists in general make for very compelling stories.


5. Many authors use schizophrenia to create a great thriller/mystery sort of story. But they end up doing a blunder. It’s a very delicate topic to talk about. What are your views?
I’d be lying if I said my reasons for including the schizophrenia were different. However, I did end up reading up a lot to make it seem as authentic as possible. It is indeed a delicate topic & I hope I’ve been able to do some justice to it, at least from a storytelling point of view.


6. What kind of books you read and what kind of impact it had on your book? What are your favorite genres, authors and books?
I love fiction novels – pretty much all kinds. I particularly like The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky, the entire Sherlock Holmes series by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle & The Seventh Secret by Irving Wallace.


7. So have you trusted your instincts and old folklore while taking inspiration from the great saga or you have researched beyond the extremities to reach the core?

A little bit of both – I’ve relied on already established storylines and also tried to I introduce new ones. For example, many of us know about Bhishma’s vow from the Mahabharat but there isn’t much literature available on what his life was like prior to that so it creates an avenue for a new story.

8. Thriller and Mystery are accepted with ease in publishing world. How was your experience in this? How you ended up at a place where you and your book are presently?

Rama’s Musings may not be a conventional thriller or whodunit type of mystery novel but there has to be something that makes you flip through the pages and find out more. I tried to focus on creating this intrigue for the reader.

Since the outset, Leadstart had faith in the idea but when the book actually gets publised is a function of several things - editing the manuscript, timing, trends among readers and other aspects that I'm not aware of. Mythological fiction is an extremely popular genre now so I think the timing has been perfect!

9. What’s next in store for the readers?

Sharing their feedback? Haha, I’m working on another novel. Not sure how long it’ll take to finish but it is in the pipeline. I try to tell stories on my Instagram page too! @siddhantdwivs

10. What are your expectations from your readers? They should adore you or they should understand you? Or beyond that they should become a fan?

Above all, I want my readers to be comfortable with however they felt about the book. To expect them to react a certain way would be tantamount to insulting their imagination.

11. Your book has a very interesting cover and title. I was not able to judge it before reading the blurb. Would you like to say something about how they were chosen for your book?

Personally, I think the title should invoke intrigue and should also do justice to the story. The cover also aims to do the same – serve as a clue and a puzzle at the same time.

12. Was there any time while writing when you felt this ain’t gonna work or it will work a big time? Any time you feel utterly motivated or completely dejected.

I was short on attendance in the 6th semester when Rama's Musings got the letter of intent to be published. So when I was sitting in the Principal's cabin during submissions, she told me that I won't be allowed to sit for practical exams and would effectively get 4 KTs. So I told her that I know it's no excuse, but I kinda wrote a novel this semester and I'm only a couple of lectures short of the minimum attendance.

She said, and I couldn't believe my ears, "Am I supposed to ask all students who don't have enough attendance to go write a book?"

I had to clear those practical KTs in the next semester. It's bittersweet now, as I look back with a smile on my face. I can forgive my injuries in the name of wisdom. If you know someone who's got passions that their college doesn't always understand or encourage, tell them to keep at it. It's all worth it later.

13. Why do you think your book will attract readers in these ever changing reading habits of today’s generation?

I guess we’ll find out together!

14.  Any part of the book which:

•         You want to change
No

•         You find the best.

I find the epilogue to be the best part of the book.

•         You can re-read till death.

Particular the second chapter is one I can re-read and still find new meaning.

15. Would you like to pass on a message to your readers before they try your book?

Thank you for your faith! I hope Rama’s Musings expands your mind like no other book did!

Thank You Author for your valuable time.

About the book:

Raghu is a 25 year old schizophrenic paralegal who has visions of living the life of Devavrata and his visions draw parallels from the events in his real life. As the psychiatric help he receives begins to take effect and the visions are gone, his life seems boring and one dimensional. He's so used to living his double life that he begins to abuse drugs to induce the visions again and his life goes into a downward spiral. What will happen to his love life, his novel and his family? Will he find a way out of the mess or succumb to the chaos?

 About the Author:

Siddhant Dwivedee is an engineer who moonlights as a stand-up comedian in Mumbai and blogs at notsolittlejohnny.com. Rama's Musings is his debut novel that he wrote as an engineering student; the culmination of his childhood love affair with The Mahabharata and steadfast passion for writing. In his spare time, he creates content for some of India's biggest brands at Publicis Media as an Associate.

Connect with the author:

Instagram : @siddhantdwivs

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Interview : Prateek Dubey Author of The Disobedient Darkness

 In Conversation with Prateek Dubey

1. The title of your book is very interesting. Would you like to throw some light on how you finally reached on this? Was it suggested by someone after beta-reading or was it your own idea?

The title of the book was a little different when I conceived the story, but it had ‘The Disobedient Darkness’ in it. After revising the first draft I concluded that anything more than ‘The Disobedient Darkness’ was unnecessary. How did the title occur to me? I don’t know or cannot explain… I believe these are strokes of imaginations which pop into the mind from nowhere inexplicably. The same goes for the name of the daemōn that guides the hero of the story. I don’t know what it means or why I chose it; coming to me one night after drinking four rum and cokes.

2. It’s always hard to start. How does it feel to finally see oneself at the top of the steps?

Yes, it is hard to start, even when you are won over by the idea. The story is about a man without a doubt, and so I imagined myself being without a doubt. This helped me a great deal spiritually. The story has many absurd moments in it, but I ploughed through regardless, believing in their relevance. Now, it is a satisfying feeling that I trusted myself and let the book happen without interfering or hesitating.

3. Hard is not to combine your thoughts, hard is to convince. What was your experience in this?

I would say that it wasn’t very hard, rather, I didn’t try too hard. The story is pretty crazy, and many times while writing it, I put my hands on my head thinking, ’Where did this come from?’. But I trusted the process in the belief that an unknown force is speaking through me vicariously.

Whether the reader is convinced of the story, I don’t know yet. Only when people who don’t know me personally read it and ask questions, will I get to know whether its voice has reached them successfully or not. I am still waiting for someone to ask me uncomfortable questions like, ‘Why do you say Death is a misunderstood blessing?’. The story has many such controversial ideas.

4. How you reached at the subject of your book? Any particular incident or is it inspired by something?

There was an incident, which sort of, revealed me to myself. It is described in the first paragraph of the chapter ‘The Journey’. I imagined myself reacting the way our protagonist did (in reality, I didn’t). That event has rankled me time and again, releasing endless chain of thoughts, consummating into all sorts of consequences. But the story is more than a cathartic outpouring. I think it is a mirror of man’s journey, his presence and purpose of existence. Mind you, while writing, I thought it would simply be an entertaining adventure, but as you know, things have turned out differently.

5.  I saw your blog. It is really fascinating to see the vibrant hue. Do you think you can ever find stories from these pictures? Or have you already found something?

Thank you for finding my blog colorful. I am usually shy and don’t interact too much with people, but come a camera in my hand, my disposition changes. I think most of the characters in ‘The Disobedient Darkness’ have come about from  moments I have been through while taking pictures, talking to people, listening to their stories. In the blog too, are a few strange and strong personalities, which will perhaps lend themselves into my future stories.

6. What are your future plans in the field of writing?

At the moment, I am working on a sequel to ‘The Disobedient Darkness’. It will keep me occupied till the end of this year. I am inclined to write science-fiction fantasies, especially diverging from the idea of an alien being the villain (I really don’t believe in villains anyway). I will be writing children’s stories and poems later.

7. What inspires you the most? People in your pictures or the stories in their eyes?

I think both are inspiring. The stories in their eyes take me to a different world altogether. It’s a crazy feeling, standing in an instance and seeing so much beyond it. I don’t know whether you’ll believe it, but people find themselves in a particular moment to fulfill it (the moment itself) wittingly or unwittingly. And when every scratch, every texture, sound, colour, shadow comes together to make a unique symphony, you get a good picture. This is the essence of photography. ‘The Disobedient Darkness’ carries forward this theme particularly in the chapters of ‘Pipes’ and ‘Ganga’.

8. Do you feel reading is enough to understand the better part of words? Or there is a different mantra you followed?

Words are manifested thoughts. But sometimes they are not enough to describe a feeling. Fiction, especially fantasy fiction has to be lived, emoted, suspected, questioned to enjoy it fully. If the words do not take the reader into the unknown, then they are simply words and nothing more. So, my mantra in this story was to lead the reader into believing the fantasy, however absurdly it might be coming across, using ambiguous phrases that had words strung in an unusual manner. It was especially needed when our hero steps into the realm of death.

14.  Your favorite authors, books, genres, literary period?

There are far too many. If I mention ten authors, I would miss ten others. But a few authors, by the force of their style have left a mark upon me. These are: Earnest Hemingway, Robert Louis Stevenson, Joseph Conrad, J. M Coetzee, Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, Albert Camus and Edgar Ellen Poe.

My reading is wide and varied. From the writers, I have mentioned, you would have guessed that mostly a direct style of narrative appeals to me. I like to stay away from prose, though I’ve enjoyed reading Salman Rushdie. For me it is the conviction and honesty of an author that is enticing and not his/her clever use of language.

These days I am reading John Updike’s ‘Rabbit Run’ and David Mitchel’s ‘The Bone Clocks’. Both are unusual and brave in terms of their writing style.

10.  It is always hard to keep on re-reading your work. You tend to find flaws after flaws. What strategy you adopted to avoid this scenario?

This is a problem. I am still working to improve the script of ‘The Disobedient Darkness’ and hope to incorporate the changes in further editions. One thing I’ve learnt from the experience is to make people (who you can trust) of various backgrounds read your script before its final presentation. There are a lot of grammar experts sitting out there who themselves have very little clarity about it, but their practical observations will set you thinking and improving. It was so funny in the case of ‘The Disobedient Darkness’, that the slowest passages had the most mistakes pointed and the gripping parts very few or none at all. It told me about the involvement of the reader and the grip of the story.

The only strategy I can think of now, is not giving up on learning and constantly seeking to improve. How and when to let go, is an elusive concept for me. The reader is my best guide, that is for sure.

11.  Any part of the book which:

     You want to change.
- None that I can think of right now

     You find the best.
- I have always enjoyed reading the, ‘The Gate’, ‘Nanda Devi’, ‘Blood Flower’ and the ‘The Pocket’ the most. In my forty odd revisions, I’ve never found a dull moment in them.

     You can re-read till death.
- The chapters of ‘The Gate’ and ‘Nanda Devi’.

     You memorize by heart.
- I would say the whole book. Since, I don’t have a very good memory, it is a boon when I visit it after a few weeks and still enjoy reading it. But the poem of the Ganges is especially dear to me, considering, that till the very end, I had no idea what it meant or how it would play out in the story.

12.  The trend of writing is changing. Do you feel only exposure is the key to succeed?

Yes, the trend of writing is changing and so of everything else. People don’t have much time and want results quickly, but that shouldn’t be the greatest of influence. The most important quality of any author is his honesty.

Exposure is the life-blood of any creative person. It is timeless and independent of trend. So, exposure to literature, philosophy, art, music, movies, politics are absolutely essential to achieve anything worthwhile.

13.  Tell us about your journey after you completed your book? The journey from publishing to reader’s notice. Your experience with the publishing firm.

This is the most interesting phase in a first-time published author’s career. He does not have a reputation and still has to earn it.  For me, the world responded in an unexpected manner after the book became published. A lot many people who I considered friends, stopped talking to me. On the other hand, many with whom I was not in regular touch, connected by buying the book. Then came the concerned well-wisher; who cannot write a single grammatically correct Facebook post or a WhatsApp message, advising me on the nuance of language. The priciest are those members of family, who pucker their nose and say, ’I don’t read such kind of books’.

My wife, my father and my sister supported me at every step of the book’s construction. Without their participation, it would have been an uphill task. I am happy to say, that most who have read the book in entirety, enjoyed it. Hopefully there will be many more like them.

The publishing house has been very co-operative. I am lucky to have found them, for they are a patient bunch, accepting my suggestions without a fuss. I have made new friends on the way and that is what matters in life for me.

14.  Did you focused on catchy phrases and high imageries in your book? They are really an important part of many classics. Or did you just focused on the story.

No, not consciously. I focused on honesty. There are instances in the story that needed a certain emotional flavour, so I put myself in the situation and described my feelings in the best possible manner. Epigrams, maxims, aphorisms and prose do make an interesting read, but that is not really my style.

The book, according to many who have read it, is by its nature high in imagery. A professor of comparative literature told me that it was like reading a comic-book. I took it as a compliment.

15.  Would you like to pass on a message to your readers before they try your book?

The story challenges conventional ideas of life, existence, death, immortality, good and evil. If you already know everything, then this book will probably appall you. And if you are an explorer, a student, a ponderer who likes to scratch his head, then the book will entertain you and fill you with further questions.

Just to set you up for it, the first chapter is called ‘The Gift’. So I ask you,

“Is life a gift? If it is, what are you doing with it?”

Thank you author for your precious time...

About the book :

What is your plan for life? Do you know its dark side? A man trades his doubts for a unique gift from his daemon. This puts into motion his metamorphosis, ' a doubtless mind connecting him to other layers of existence and unravelling some extraordinary latent powers. Using his newfound abilities impetuously for the benefit of others, he inevitably runs into the dark side of goodness. Then, one day, a moment of violence, a call for justice hurls him into a maelstrom of an extraordinary adventure - a quest for a pitcher of ancient mythic water, hidden deep inside the Himalayas. It is the only weapon capable of countering a sinister force abducting humans from Earth. But an unexpected turn awaits him as he moves closer; the water is nurturing a secret intent that could challenge the destiny of mankind.

About the author :

"Prateek Dubey is a photographer, writer and an artist based in New Delhi, India. His work has featured in the Guardian U.K, the Deccan Chronicle, The Hindu and N-Photo magazine besides various photography sites around the world. Writing has been his favourite form of expression for a long time. He has written many pieces of entertaining short fiction using whiskey, Black Sabbath, beautiful aliens and other unconventional elements as his motifs. He blogs (Prateek's World), merging photography with storytelling, on his experiences of life in India. Some of these photo essays have been featured in the Pioneer and Mail Today. He has also had a solo show of oil paintings at the Lalit Kala Academy in 2005 besides participating in various group shows of painting and photography. Prateek is a graduate of chemistry from the Delhi University and also a trained fashion designer from India's premiere fashion institute, the National Institute of Fashion Technology."

Connect with the author :

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Book Review : Blemishing the odds by Harish Penumarthi

Book: Blemishing the Odds

Author: Harish Penumarthi

Genre: Fiction (Romance)

Publisher: Half Baked Beans

Pages: 200

Price: 275 INR

Blurb:

Say hello to Raghav, an immature, insensitive person who is apathetic about everyone else except himself. His life revolves around his parents and his friends. He is among the bad books of all his Teachers. Until one day, when Trisha, a new entrant; mesmerizes him at the very first glance. He finds a friend, savior, nurturer and an inamorata in her. Just when he thinks that everything has been set out in a picture perfect manner, life throws a series of ghastly surprises at him. Will he change for good or stick to his immature stand of "My Life, my rules" and screw it all up? This tale journeys across all the ups and downs a student could possibly encounter. The transformations that a student may endure, the courage and guts one needs to have in order to dodge all predicaments and eventually sketch the perfect end to all his agonies.

Review:

The book “Blemishing the odds” is a good mixture of teenage life, its hardships, the thought process and the desires that follow. This book is the story of Raghav and Trisha.

I didn’t like the book that much because it was a too obvious read for me. There was everything in the book that every book these days contains. There was nothing new, nothing special, nothing catchy enough to take my breath away.

The only good part in the book was that it was a very quick read and there were certain sentimental areas where the book becomes readable enough and it was the part where a parent-children relationship is exposed. But there also I felt that Raghav’s part was very weak.

In the book the story revolves around the happenings at school. Another spoiled brat, another good girl, another life changing tale.

All the areas of notice, like changes in Raghav, the ultimate cut-off, the new beginning, the sudden dilemma, everything was penned nicely by the author. There was no problem in the writing part the whole problem was in the story. It was not at all appealing.

There were a whole lot of Dude’s and Fuck’s used liberally in abundance. There were extra charged hormones. There was a lot of Cigarettes and Boozing. In short it had all that we see normally.

If I talk about the outer appearance then the cover is the most likeable part as it tells everything in right proportions. The title has little, very little relation with the story and the blurb is extremely okayish.

The characters are again okayish. I didn’t like Raghav, I didn’t like Trisha but I liked Raghav’s father. He was a good blend of everything like what is expected from him.

In the beginning the book is a bit slow, in the middle there is a bit of movement and the end is disastrous. It was not at all attractive and interesting.

The book only helped me reaching one book closer to my goodreads target. It didn’t help me in any other manner. But it can be a good read for those who have just started reading. The author was good with words but the creative aspect was less.

Recommendation:

This book is apt for naïve readers who enjoy light school romance.

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Book Review : The Jeera Packer by Prashant Yadav

Book: The Jeera Packer

Author: Prashant Yadav

Genre: Fiction (Thriller)

Publisher: Fingerprint! Publishing

Pages: 344

Price: 295 INR

Blurb:

I once changed the history of this Uttar Pradesh with a gun and a finger. One shot, one man. Right man, wrong man. But that was thirty years ago. I shot people through their heads then. I pack Jeera in a basement now.

This is me and here is my story.

He was the best sharpshooter in the state. A true bullet artist. But he gave it all up to lead a happy, normal, stable life . . . with his loving wife and dear son.

And that proved to be his undoing.

Resonant and deeply affecting, The Jeera Packer is the gripping tale of a man who after three decades of playing the happy family man returns to his profession of old for one final work—to shoot the chief minister. Convinced that this is his raison d'etre, will he manage to pull off this one last act, as his concluding hat tip to the man he could have been? Will he be able to brush away the Jeera dust and rediscover himself? Or has the middle-aged family man already throttled the sharpshooter in him?

Review:

The Jeera Packer is action-packed from the very first page. The book tells the story of a man who is on an exciting journey to rise from his ashes and satisfy his male ego in the long run. Is it an exaggeration to call the main protagonist a male chauvinist? I was in a dilemma about it. Every person needs a kick in his life but the way things came out made me call the Jeera Packer an egoistic.

The story starts with a great difference between two friends that comes as a sharp hit straight on the face of The Jeera Packer. His indifference towards everything thereafter is well told by the author at every start and end of a single page. It was very tricky. At first I didn’t think about the lead this way but as I progressed in the book this feeling was coming back again and again.

The lead character “The Jeera Packer“ and I am calling his this every time because there is when the things actually start. The book wouldn’t be what it is without this adjective that glued so strongly with the main character. He was very interesting, very hard to know. He had qualities of both a protagonist and an antagonist. This is what made the things extra nice, extra pumped up. If I talk about others then I simply loved Lal Mani, why I don’t know. He has that charm in him, that secrecy. 

The way his younger days were told, I fell for him. I think I have a thing for underdogs who score it a big time.

Apart from these two characters Madhurima and Jaya were good. But they were like those Bollywood actress who are a part of the story just for the sake of some glamour and sex quotient. I didn’t find them extra appealing but I loved Madhurima for her boldness and her stature in between so many goons. But Jaya well she is off my radar. Dada was also good but he was an obvious pimp so he didn’t attract me much.

I loved the name of the book, it is as spicy as the book, the cover is pretty, it is clean and it is not revealing anything while saying the obvious things. It is really eye-catching because it is unique. I would also like to give special mentions to the editor for being so good with her/his work. It was a treat to read a well-crafted book.

The author penned the book with precision, keeping in mind the subject he was talking about. There were abuses but were they helping any bit, no. I believe there is no need of abuses until and unless you are seeing your book as a future movie adaptation. The author was so good with the characterization that it was very easy that this person is habitual of abusing just like breathing. Such were the images created about the characters. And in a literary work I don’t think there is a need of extra embellishments until your content is not good.

The starting of the book is very interesting. The middle portion was a little boring from the side of “The Jeera Packer”. It was really making me grumpy to read about his journey in finding something he needs. But the usage of other characters in the same setting is quite good. Most of the characters came in lime-light due to this section only. So it was not the fault of the story it was the fall of the character. As I already mentioned that I was not at all in awe of the main character.

But the main realization hit at the end of the book. The Jeera Packer was highly used just to make some realizations at the end. Then why he was decorated way beyond the requirement, well that’s how the thriller works. I was not very impressed by the end, rather I was amused.

All in all the book was a great read with twists and turns of high order. It is a well-executed and planned book.

Eye-Catchers:

• “If you don’t have the power, you get what others throw at you out of generosity.”
• “If you create small heroes, you got to be tiny.”
• “Ownership was invented by the scared man. It is impossible and destructive.”

Recommendation:

It is a great thriller and is worth your time.

About the author:

A little boy who never grew up. A wise man who didn’t need to. A smartass who didn’t bother.
Revolution on my secret agenda. World domination plan B. Need ten hands. Or a cult. Conscription on. Apply.
Love breathing road dust on two wheels. Love playing with a three year old. And love Bachchan.
Went to IIT Kharagpur, IIM Ahmedabad and Stockholm School of Economics. Run own company. Advise start-ups. Practice karate.

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Book Review : The Wrong Turn by Sanjay Chopra and Namita Roy Ghose

Book: The Wrong Turn

Author: Sanjay Chopra and Namita Roy Ghose

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Om Books International

Price: 295 INR

Pages: 488

Blurb:

"1944, Kohima — a normal, sleepy town in northeast India. Subhash Chandra Bose and his Indian National Army (INA) along with the Japanese, are on the brink of bringing the Empire to its knees and forcing the British out of India. But, inexplicably, the tables turn. The INA’s advance is thwarted and the victory march to Delhi is halted. Seventy years later, the British admit that the Battle of Kohima was the greatest battle they had ever fought. Even more so than the battles of Waterloo and Dunkirk.

Was it then that old Indian curse — betrayal? Someone from within Netaji’s own ranks? Were there forces other than the British, waiting in the shadows closer to home, who stood to gain even more from the INA’s defeat? Or was it just love that irrevocably altered the course of India’s destiny?
The Wrong Turn: Love and Betrayal in the Time of Netaji, is a sweeping tale of passion set against the freedom struggle. Debraj, the rakish playboy and scion of a distinguished Calcutta family, and Nishonko, the fiery revolutionary sworn to the cause of the INA, must not only fight their common enemy, but also for the love of Aditi, the rebel with the healing touch.

A haunting tale of love, friendship and betrayal of an entire nation, The Wrong Turn veers inexorably towards a poignant redemption."

Review:

The book is a great piece of art in itself not just in terms of the subject matter but in all spheres all together. There is a magnet pre-installed in the title itself that bounds the reader to get attracted to it without any hardships and obstacles. The book scores full marks in the blurb section which was as fascinating as the book, the front cover which was though beautiful couldn’t express much and the title which was enhanced beyond the extremities due to the “sub-title”.

I have always been intrigued by the story of Netaji and have read quite a few books dealing with the same topic and this book was not disappointing at all. It had all the elements that make a work of fiction become more lively and energetic so as to throw the same zeal in the readers.

If I talk about the characters then there was no loop hole in the characterization. There were enough of them to stuff my imagination in the right proportions. They were well described, well brought up and well treated. Also a great care was taken in penning down the antagonists and the side characters; they were a treat to the eyes.

The best part in the book is that it has different hues in the form of different cities. There was so much to explore, so much to know that it became a treat throughout.

A balance was maintained at every juncture. The author has kept a great proportion of everything, be it romance, be it history, be it juggling between light to dark read. But I thought that there was a little need of separating some sections to avoid confusion.

The vocabulary was good but a bit over the top for me and especially for a story of this kind. There was no need to be hilarious at some places, there was no need to play with words either as some places, it was just a little mismatch at some points.

The Love and Betrayal part as mentioned in the tagline is well played with by the authors. If I sum up I can certainly say that this book is a great read and every effort of the authors can be seen in this highly refined story and twists and turns and imageries. It is totally worth your time.

Recommendation:

This book can be read by any reader irrespective of her/his genre choices. It is one great read but it demands your time and attention. So it is not for naïve readers.

About the author:

Sanjay Chopra: He is an airline pilot and author of two collections of short stories, Said and Done and Tailspin stories. He believed that his office forty thousand feet in the sky and his travels provide his with a view that fuels his vivid storytelling that cuts a wide arc through time and space.

His stories have won the Invisible Ink, the Millennium writers and Southport awards in the UK and USA. In the words of his reader, ‘He is a storyteller like those of the old days, yet his stories are as modern as tomorrow.’

He lives in Mumbai with his wife Tisca Chopra, an actress and he is currently working on a film script and a web series.

Namita Roy Ghose: She has established her storytelling skills through her script writing, screenplays poetry, fiction, legendary advertising campaigns, and as a renowned advertising film director. Namita as Creative Director with HTA, left after 13 years to start her own film company, White Light, one of India’s top ad film outfits. She is a social activist, and the founder of Vanashakti, an NGO that works to protect the environment.

Namita has done pro bono work on social issues such as domestic violence, child welfare, sexual harassment and forest preservation. She is also an avid traveler, a photographer, foodie and teacher.

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