23. Review of “Someone to Love” – Ruchita Misra

“Someone to Love” – Ruchita Misra

When I read the blurb, I thought that I might be just another mushy, romantic story. A few chapters in and it was a sad story of a beaten up housewife. Half way through I knew that it was a ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ rip off, complete with the little girl. But the characters and their circumstances are a bit different. True that the boy and girl loved each other and went separate ways, but the way the story takes shape is a bit different.

The story starts with two friends who are each other’s rock as well as cushion to fall back on. Their mothers are friends too and they go to the same school. When time comes to part ways after school, Koyal gives up an engineering option to take admission in a college near Atharv’s, ignorant of the fact that Atharv is slowly falling for his new classmate Nili. Encountered with the intimacy between Atharv and Nili, Koyal flees away and severs all bonds between the two families only to be married to an abusive husband. She gathers courage to leave him after 4 years of suffering and makes a carrier for herself. Destiny brings them together again and she is pulled into Atharv’s life again. How she overcomes her past and embraces her present is what this story is about.

The narrative is cozy and draws the reader into the pages to the lives of the characters. Storyline is similar to the movie mentioned above but with a bit of twist. Characters are detailed suitably and leave a mark on the pages gone by.

My Take: Read it for a fresh perspective towards what you already know the ending is going to be.

Book Courtesy: WritersMelon

22. Review of “Lanka’s Princess” - Kavita Kane

“Lanka’s Princess” - Kavita Kane

We all have heard, read and seen the story of Ram, the great warrior Prince of Ayodhya. Some from Ram’s point of view, some from Sita’s and a few from Ravan’s or Hanuman’s perspective. Each version represented its protagonist in a different way. All of them lead to the depiction of the final battle between the good and evil, but none really sheds light towards why the evil became evil and why was the good drawn towards going for a battle.

Lanka’s princess, Surpanakha is the central character in this book by Kavita Kane. Surpanakha, hard as nails, was named Meenakshi when born. Her unsparing character leads her mother and siblings to rename her Surpanakha. She was more of an asura but was very attached to her father, a rishi. Ignored by her mother over the more favourable Ravan and Kumbha, Meenu turned towards her naani for love and care.

When Ravan won Lanka, the golden city, from his step brother Kuber, he lavished his sister with riches and grandeur befitting a princess. After bitter altercations and blackmailing, Meenu went on to marry Vidyujiva, Ravan’s rival, who wanted to usurp Ravan and take over Lanka. However, madly in love, Meenu could not see beyond the tenderness and love of Vidyujiva for which she had hungered since she was a child.  The deviously scheming Ravan waited for more than a decade to kill Meenu’s husband. In the ensuing wrath, Meenu left Lanka to reside in Dandak forest, where she trained her son Kumar to seek vengeance from Ravan. However, Kumar was accidently killed while meditating by Lakshman. In rage, Surpanakha approached Ram, Sita and Lakshman. She was taken aback by the two handsome princes and proposed them. They jested with her but refused to marry. Again facing rejection and being shunned by them, she attacked Sita. Lakshman on his elder brother’s order mutilated her face and sent her on her way. After devious plotting and molding the situation to her needs, she approached Ravan and asked for justice for herself while keeping Ravan equally enthralled by telling him that the spoil of the war will be Sita, the one he longed for. The rest as we all know is history or rather mythology in this case. Surpanakha got her retribution.

This take on Ramayana from the Surpanakha’s side is eye opening. It begs you to dwell on the intensity of vile on the ‘other side’ of the war. Were the auras really that evil? Was Surpanakha evil? Was she forced under the pressure of circumstances to become evil? Did she chose this path of destruction or was she unknowingly steered towards it by her destiny? A minor character in the yearly held Ramleelas becomes the central character in this book that makes it an even more interesting read. The unknown facts are revealed and amalgamated into the story.

I have always been a fan of mythological and period literature. This too adds to my shelf as a prized possession, something that is rare to find and surprises you till the end of the pages.

My Take: Read it for a fresh perspective towards what you already know.

Book Courtesy: WritersMelon