Decoding Life by Vikas Singal (Book Review-2.5*/5)!!!

     This is the second work of Vikas Singal that I have just completed reading. 3 months back, I had read the e-book released by him which comprised of 3 small love tales. I had a complain that his stories were too short to communicate anything and I'm bit happy with the progress he made in this anthology named "Decoding Life". It comprises of 10 short stories which are based on different topics and it's surely better than his first attempt. Generally, with anthologies, you find that they aren't edited well but I congratulate Singal's publisher- Gargi who have assured that the book isn't badly formatted and grammatically incorrect. 

     

           The first story, Taxi Driver, shows how out of fear a girl runs away from a taxi driver when he halts for a few minutes. Later, author shows how all men are not the same. For me, the best story is "A Rain Kissed Tuesday". The emotions that this story carries is almost similar to what many Indian authors are doing with their 225-pages book. Author managed to do it in few pages itself. K N Laxman is another good story in the book which shows how people think everyone is selfish even if few people are genuinely good and caring. Glad That We Met is another story which will make you smile at few scenes. The Mistake serves its conclusion well. Two States is the worst attempt according to me. Author could not link the two situations together perfectly. I was expecting little masala from The Train but it ended being too sweet. Book ends with That Mystery Girl which is quite similar to Taxi Driver where author tries to tell how every girl isn't flirty and date-friendly. 

           The attempt by Vikas Singal is honest and you can find the same in every story. To release a book with 10 short stories by a single author is a wonderful idea but then it should be taken care of how many stories are par excellent. I found almost 70% of the stories mediocre. I was expecting little more length from the stories even this time. Author had a conclusion in his mind and he wanted to reach to it in as less words as possible. He should attempt long version of short stories now. But I genuinely liked 2-3 stories and they shall remain in my mind for days. My favorite is A Rain Kissed Tuesday, The Train and The Mistake. I give the book 2.5 stars out of 5. 

 Thanks.

 ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!! 

Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh (Book Review-3.75*/5)!!!

     

    I have read many articles in Hindustan Times written by Khushwant Singh along with few of his works that keeps getting circulated online. This is the first time when I have read any book of his. "Train to Pakistan" was gifted to me by a very special person and I can not thank her enough for taking me to a journey which has made me understand the state through which few people survived when partition took place while Independence. Though the book is fictional but the scenes it narrates makes you remember few incidents which has happened for real and have been read by us in History books for years. The way Khushwant Singh has written the book being unbiased and truthful makes it more special. There are many books written on the same topic but I am sure no one else would have written it as beautifully as he has. 

          Though the book can be called as a fictional work based in the times of partition but along with it, the author has also tried to give us some characters that can be well related with many people we see around us. The characterization is done so wonderfully that you can almost imagine what kind of a person each one of them are. It is shown how a person who is considered to be educated and expected to bring revolution could not do anything in the times of hardship. Similarly, another person who is treated badly throughout by government, policemen, girlfriend, villagers turns out to be the one who saves 1000s of life by putting his life at risk. Khushwant Singh has been successful in portraying how a true character of a person is showcased only when he is put into tough conditions and challenging situations. 

    "Train to Pakistan" is very beautifully written where Khushwant Singh has frankly talked about every small aspect of how the mentality affected the nation badly during partition. The whole village which was very soft and loving suddenly becomes violent and aggressive against a religion is a hard-hitting scene. The way government used to twist facts and take decisions according to their convenience is also openly discussed. There are many scenes where you will find yourself in it. That's how amazingly the author has scribbled this book and narrated each scene. I give the book 3.75 stars out of 5. 

 Thanks.

 ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!!

It Happens for a Reason by Preeti Shenoy (Book Review- 4.25*/5)!!!

        If there's one writer who have always impressed me with his/her writing each time he/she had released his/her work- It's Preeti Shenoy apart from Ravi Subramanian. Not even once did I rate any of her book below 4 stars. In fact, her last book "The One You Cannot Have" got 4.9* rating from me. That's almost perfect. This time, it took me long enough to read her latest book because of internship and college issues. But I finished reading "It Happens For A Reason" few hours ago and since then I am only thinking about its characters and emotional journey through which the book took me. I had plans of sleeping around 12 AM last night but her book made me wake till 4.30 AM. That's the power of Preeti Shenoy's writing and her stories. You just keep getting deep into it and find yourself in a meditative state after a point of time where you are concentrating only on the words written by the writer. With every breathe, you feel the emotion and feelings of protagonist and every other character attached with him/her. 

   

           IHFAR is a story about a girl who ends up getting pregnant before marriage while her modelling career is at zenith. She takes the decision of giving birth to her child while the boy, Ankush rejects her decision and even her parents decide to send her away from Mumbai. She is fine with all the rejection as the only thing that she wants is her baby. She names him Aryan. From here on wards, Preeti tells us about how she takes care of a 15 year old boy and how she struggles to earn whatever little bit she does. Also her past is been discussed as the emotional turmoil that disturbs Vipasha every day. Suchi is always there with her as moral support since childhood. What happens when one day Ankush returns back in her life? What happens when her parents who dejected her also contacts her? What happens when Aryan comes to know about his father? To find this answer, you will have to experience this roller-coaster ride yourself.

     

      Preeti Shenoy once again writes in very fluid English which is surely going to impress the class that thinks Indian authors are only ruining the language and literature. From the point the book starts, the emotions that the protagonist Vipasha expresses makes you feel for her. There are few great scenes in the book which I don't think any other writer could have written it so well. The incident that takes place with the dogs, the love-making scene between Vipasha and Ankush, the final hospital moment when she gives birth to Aryan, the hug scene between the father and son and many more... I loved the equation between Vipasha and Suchi the most. I also liked how the author connects the story with a real incident where 24 children drowned in water in Himachal Pradesh. The last 20-30 pages are so emotional that I found myself controlling my tears every minute. 

            I give this book 4.25*. I want to give it 4.5* or more but because I feel Preeti Shenoy has just repeated herself again and not done something very new. I have already read a story from her where a mother is a single parent to her child and struggles to earn for him. I have already read in another book how a married lady gets back to her teen love/husband. I wished if a new base could have been used for this one but I'm still more than impressed. This book is a soul in itself. And if you haven't read Preeti Shenoy still, you will rate this book no less than 4.75*. Just do read this book. I felt so much love and respect for my mother after reading it. All thanks to Preeti mam for making me get into the shoes of all the women in my life and think about how they think of life. Only you can do this. EACH AND EVERY TIME. RESPECT!

 Thanks.

 ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!!