Like Being Alive Twice by Dharini Bhaskar | Book Review by Dhiraj Sindhi

 

Like Being Alive Twice by Dharini Bhaskar

Book Review by Dhiraj Sindhi

Like Being Alive Twice by Dharini Bhaskar

Authors: Dharini Bhaskar

ISBN: 978-0143466765

Genre: Dystopian Fiction

Length: 330 Pages

Publication Date: 29^th March 2024

Publisher: Penguin Viking

Cover Designer: Ahlawat Gunjan | Instagram: @ahlawat.gunjan

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/3ACB5NY

About the Author: Born in Bombay, Dharini has at various points also called the UK, Greece, Delhi and Bangalore home.

Her debut novel These, Our Bodies Possessed by Light (Hachette India) was shortlisted for the 2020 JCB Prize for Literature, Tata Literature Live! (First Book: Fiction), and the Valley of Words book awards. She has been published in the anthology Day’s End Stories; is a columnist for The Free Press Journal; and has contributed to Hindu BLink, Arre, Firstpost, Mint Lounge, Vogue, among other publications.

Dharini has spent over a decade in publishing, including as editorial director of Simon and Schuster India. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, painting, backpacking, and taking long bike rides with her little boy.

Dharini Bhaskar

Instagram: @dharinibhaskar

Disclaimer: This review is only intended to initiate discussions. The opinions and views presented in this article are my own and do not reflect anything about the book's author. 

REVIEW

In Dharini Bhaskar's mesmerizing novel Like Being Alive Twice, the narrative unfolds with the delicate intricacy of a spider's web, catching the reader in its threads of parallel realities and choices made or missed. The story is anchored by Poppy (Priyamvada), a woman poised on the cusp of two divergent paths, each represented by a door—one yellow, one blue. Bhaskar's deft hand guides us through 15 chapters that alternately explore seven years as they were and as they could have been, leading us to a hauntingly inevitable conclusion: all doors, no matter how different, ultimately lead to the same place.

In the world of the yellow door, Poppy chooses Yuvi, a decision driven not by love but by a pragmatic retreat from the intensifying political climate. In contrast, the blue door offers her a life with Tariq, the man she truly loves, where they live the harsh realities of the insidious nature of authoritarian regimes that tally human worth with a chilling points system. Bhaskar's portrayal of this dystopian landscape is disturbingly familiar and eerily plausible, with its gated communities, strict social hierarchy, surveillance, smog-choked Bastis, and the looming threat of losing everything for stepping outside prescribed societal norms.

What sets Like Being Alive Twice apart is its exploration of alternate realities and the emotional undercurrents that run through both narratives. Bhaskar's masterful storytelling weaves together these parallel worlds, revealing the subtle connections and surprising coincidences that bind them, compelling the reader to flip back and forth, piecing together the connections between art, politics, and the personal lives of her characters. The narrative is richly textured with the recurring motifs; touchstones—books, paintings, anklet, sculpture, movies, and songs—serve as anchors, grounding the characters in their respective realities while highlighting the stark contrasts between them.

The novel's exploration of politics is unflinching, and the individual's relationship to power is particularly poignant. The supreme leader's rule, with its draconian points system, is a thinly veiled critique of majoritarianism, authoritarianism, and societal pressures, where freedoms are increasingly curtailed, and individual worth is quantified. Each tally determines the citizens' place in one of the gated enclaves—Palash, Kadamba, Champa—and their rank in a rigid hierarchy. Points are meticulously tracked: marry outside your religion, delay marriage, or fail to conceive within five years, and your score drops, risking exile from your Bagh. Even the points of parents dictate their children's futures, with any misstep—a forbidden affair, for instance—leading to a public inquiry and potential banishment. The unlucky subjects are relegated to the Bastis or, worse, the Door Mohalla. The Baghs, with their floral names, mask the thorny reality of life under constant scrutiny, where love, freedom, and ethics are commodities traded for a higher score.

It highlights the importance of individual agency and the power of love that transcends adversity. Yet, Bhaskar never allows the political to overshadow the personal. Poppy's relationship with her mother, for instance, remains a constant in both worlds, offering a moving exploration of how love and resentment can coexist, shaped but never fully determined by external circumstances.

Bhaskar's narrative technique is striking in its use of parallel events to underscore the differences and similarities between the two worlds. These moments of interconnectedness are not just clever literary devices but profound meditations on the nature of choice and fate.

Bhaskar brings both worlds crashing together in a heartbreaking conclusion. The novel's ending, where all paths converge in tragedy, is both devastating and cathartic; it's a sobering reminder of the inescapable consequences of living in a world divided by faith, power, and fear. It is a potent exploration of how, despite our choices, we are ultimately shaped by forces beyond our control.

Like Being Alive Twice is a triumph of narrative craft, a novel that demands to be read and reread, each time revealing new layers of meaning. Bhaskar's prose is lyrical yet precise, her characters vividly drawn, and her narrative structure innovative without being gimmicky. She has given us a story that is as much about the worlds we inhabit as it is about the ones we imagine—a reminder that, no matter which doors we choose, we are always, in some way, the same.

"You can tug at a story this way or that. Close one door and walk through another. And here's where you'll find yourself."

Happy Reading!

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In ITCOS, Awais Sophisticatedly Paints Secretly Flourishing Affair amidst Terrorism

    

"In ITCOS, Awais Sophisticatedly Paints an Awkwardly Blooming Love Life of a Woman Caught amidst the Irony of the Elites, Collapsing Marriage and Terrorism"

Book Review by Dhiraj Sindhi

In the Company of Strangers by Awais Khan

In the Company of Strangers by Awais Khan

Author: Awais Khan

ISBN: 978-9386797759

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Length: 271 Pages

Publication Date: 10^th December 2019

Publisher: Simon & Schuster India

Cover Designer: Mridu Agarwal | Instagram: @storypals

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/3Gypy2V

About the author:

Awais Khan was born in Lahore, Pakistan. 'In the Company of Strangers' is his first novel published by Simon & Schuster, Hera Books and Isis Audio. His second novel 'No Honour' is published by Orenda Books and Isis Audio. He is a graduate of The University of Western Ontario and Durham University. He studied Creative Writing at Faber Academy. His work has appeared in numerous publications and he was longlisted for the Short Story Dagger in 2022. He has appeared for Interviews on BBC World Service, Dubai Eye, Voice of America, Cambridge Radio, Samaa TV, City42, Maverix Media and PTV Home to name a few. He has been on the judging panels for Gwyl Crime Cymru Prize and the Cheshire Novel Prize. He is represented by Annette Crossland (A for Authors Agency Ltd, London).

In his free time, he likes to read all types of fiction, especially historical fiction and crime/psychological thrillers. He is hard at work on his forthcoming novels.

Awais Khan

Instagram: @awaiskhanauthor

Twitter: @AwaisKhanAuthor

Website: www.awaiskhanauthor.com

The Writing Institute: thewritinginstitute.online

SYNOPSIS:

The emotionally gripping story of love and loss in Pakistan. In the glittering world of Pakistan's elite, all is not what it seems… Mona has almost everything: money, friends, social status... Everything except for freedom. Languishing in her Golden cage, she craves a sense of belonging… desperate for emotional release, she turns to a friend who introduces her to a world of glitter, glamour, covert affairs and drugs. There she meets Ali, a physically and emotionally wounded man, years younger than her. Heady with love, she begins a delicate game of deceit that spirals out of control and threatens to shatter the deceptive facade of conservatism erected by Lahori society, and potentially destroy everything that Mona has ever held dear.

Disclaimer: This is not a review, it is only intended for initiating discussions. The opinions and views presented in this article are my own and do not reflect anything about the book's author. 

REVIEW

In the Company of Strangers by Awais Khan is an unputdownable contemporary fiction novel set in Lahore that is witnessing frequent terrorist attacks; told from the perspectives of an overnight sensation in the modelling world—Ali and a woman from Lahore’s elite class—Mona. Ali’s life is shaken to its roots when he finds out that his brother is one of the victims and survivors of the latest terrorist attack in the city. On the other hand, Mona’s college best friend Meera’s glamourous comeback to Lahore’s elite group proves to be a catalyst for her life bound with the shackles of her doomed marriage. The novel has you hooked from its very first page as it elegantly explores the lives of its characters, divulging their struggles and secrets, one at a time.

The novel goes on to talk about some serious issues at length as Mona and Ali come closer and subplots overlap to create a complex web of sharp contrasts threaded with irony. The irony is like the main character in the novel, a literary device that could be discussed extensively in a research paper. The novel sheds light on the position of women in society and also raises voice against the oppression and humiliation they face through Mona’s mother-in-law—Nighat’s epic monologue, which goes like, “They’d wipe that bright red lipstick from your lips, probably slice your lips off in the process. Then they’d shroud you in a burqa and so many layers of clothing that you’d be unrecognisable…that’s the way they like their women.” Grab your copy to read the full monologue, it’s one of my favourite parts.

Another thing that I adore about this book is the ending. Despite so many layers of internal and external conflicts that plunge this book so deep and far, Awais Khan has aced the denouement game and overall wrapping up of the novel with a mind-blowing climax. On the whole, ITCOS is an extremely easy-to-read book that also carries the sheer intensity of terror production and women’s oppression.

Highly recommended!

Happy Reading!

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Semicolon, an intricate, beautiful tattoo created by Mohit; is inked with stream-of-consciousness; effectively capturing the mental turmoil of those dealing with traumatic past

 

Semicolon, an intricate, beautiful tattoo created by Mohit; is inked with stream-of-consciousness; effectively capturing the mental turmoil of those dealing with traumatic past

Book Review by Dhiraj Sindhi

Semicolon: a novel by Mohit Narbada Joshi

Semicolon: a novel by Mohit Narbada Joshi

Author: Mohit Narbada Joshi

ISBN: 978-9390909810

Genre: Contemporary Philosophical Fiction 

Length: 288 Pages

Publication Date: 25^th October 2021

Publisher: Kalamos Literary Services LLP

Cover Designer: Rishikumar Thakur | Instagram: @bookcoversbyrishi

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/3CFkSEV

About the author:

Mohit Narbada Joshi is a PhD Scholar in the department of Humanities and Social Sciences at Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur. Graduated as an engineer, and post graduated in English Literature, he could no longer ignore his calling. He has been writing since middle school, and this would be his first published fiction work. He has also worked as an Assistant Professor of English with St. Xavier’s College, Jaipur. One can find his writing page on Instagram: @harsh_writes where he shares his short poems and musings.

Mohit Narbada Joshi

Instagram: @harsh_writes

Disclaimer: This review is only intended for initiating discussions. The opinions and views presented in this article are my own and do not reflect anything about the book's author. 

REVIEW

Contrary to the apparent perspicuity of semicolon (punctuation), Mohit Narbada Joshi tattoos an intricate yet beautiful philosophical fiction—Semicolon using the ink of stream-of-consciousness in different experimental ways; effectively capturing the emotional turmoil one goes through while struggling with mental health issues stemming from a traumatic past; ‘fresh’ in all aspects, including romance, this debut from a promising author defies conventions of the most popular Indian contemporary works.

Semicolon follows two independent storylines, that of Keshav and Dhara. Keshav’s part of the story is narrated using interior monologues and Dhara’s, in first-person point of view. Keshav is troubled by this voice in his head that knows everything that is going to happen and everyone he is yet to meet in his life. These words at the beginning of the novel, ‘future is not something to be created, but just the past that needs to be revisited’ establishes the element of magic realism that is characterised by the mystery that somehow the protagonist knows what is coming next in his life and the next moment.

Dhara is utterly distressed that she is being forced to see a psychotherapist after she has lost (almost) all the people she had ever loved. She is afraid of the “anticipated” closure that she ‘would end up breaking all her ties with all that once mattered to her and detach her from the remains of a life she fell in love with.’ Being a medical student herself, she knows how this is going to play out if she complied with how she was expected to just. Let. Go. I think this is the thing about therapy and mental health that people need to understand that it is really difficult to let go of the past and how? Mohit has successfully illustrated this elaborately throughout the book in Dhara’s account. The journey starts by admitting that you may need or want closure, but that might never happen. In fact, one believes that holding onto the past is logically the best possible way to be secure; this sense of security convinces one to carry the burden of traumatic experience at the cost of being in a state of hopelessness. And ‘;’ is the very symbol of affirmation against this hopelessness.

Apart from being an addition to the semicolon movement, this book contains countless other metaphors. The philosophical writing style complements the interior monologues, which form the foundation of the book. The book is divided into three parts following the three-act structure, which is often used in works of narrative fiction. The first part is as usual, dedicated to the character development and problem definition. Here, you get to know what protagonists are dealing with and how do they perceive it. 

In the second part, the story actually moves forward and so do the protagonists. Here, you come across many philosophical discussions and pieces of poetry while you are also being familiarized with more characters. Besides, the protagonists are undergoing the change of scene in their life for good. However, they’d have to confront their fears sooner or later and towards the end of the second part, they eventually find themselves on the path they dreaded for a long time. The structure of the book appears to be non-linear and readers may find it hard to connect the dots until the third part. In the final part, a proper climax takes place, which is absolutely mind-blowing considering how it resolves all the conflicts in the lives of protagonists. Readers are finally able to outline the actual sequence of the events and the mysteries are solved too.

It had been an emotional saga all along, although the climax had a pronounced effect on me. I could relate to both the protagonists on multiple levels which made me root for the characters till the end. Sometimes, I wasn’t able to keep up with the writing style, but I’m glad I put effort to understand the characters well. In the climax, it all did pay off.  The most I resonated with was Dhara, I could literally see myself in her shoes. I will end this review with her words from the iconic climactic scene, which also made me cry, even the second time as I read it to quote “I was too scared of what lay beyond the answers to the questions I had grown comfortable with.”

Happy Reading!

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Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë | A Review Cum Analysis

   

Book Review

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Author: Emily Jane Brontë

ISBN: 8188280062

Genre: Tragedy and Gothic Fiction

Length: 343 Pages

Publication Date: 2002 (Originally: December 1847)

Publisher: Wilco Publishing House (Originally published by Thomas Cautley Newby under the pseudonym – Ellis Bell)

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/3mcne5Q

About the author:

The daughters of an Anglican clergyman, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne, lost their mother in early childhood and were brought up in Yorkshire moors. All of them wrote novels and poetry that have since become the Classics of today. Charlotte's Jane Eyre' and Anne's 'Agnes Grey join the immortality status along with Emily's 'Wuthering Heights', and her own great poems.

Emily (Jane) Bronte was perhaps the most prolific writer of the three. It is her lucid verses however, which reveal her real genius.

In a stroke of misfortune for the literary world, the Bronte sisters lived very short lives. Emily and Anne died of tuberculosis at 30 and 29, and Charlotte at 39, during her pregnancy.

Emily's brilliance lives on – with her widely read poems, and of course, with her spellbinding: Wuthering Heights.

Emily Bronte

Bronte Parsonage Museum: https://www.bronte.org.uk/

REVIEW

As you, my readers’ fam, may know that I generally do critical and analytical reviews on my blog, divided into sections based on fundamental literary elements like plot, characters, themes, setting, etc. However, I will not be diving deep into these technicalities for this particular review, because I am planning for yet another reading, focusing on a couple of specific themes. So, without further ado, let’s see what I have been able to perceive so far.

Review

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte was part of my British Novel course, for which I took an examination in February 2021. Although I wasn’t able to read the novel, I had to study it for my exams as I had resolved to pick out Wuthering Heights from amongst all the choices provided. That’s why I was equipped with its summary, analysis, critical essays, and the like before I started reading the novel. But thankfully, for the timeless and mysterious proses, impeccable articulation emanating wildest imaginations, and its ability to transport you to different time and space, as the classic texts often do, my prior knowledge of the text did not even slightly affect my reading experience.

Wuthering Heights showed me myriad shades of human emotions and the destructive consequences of our intense reactions to them. Every character from the novel, at some point in time, seemed to me a villain; their villainy characterized by antipathy, revenge, shifting identities, dishonesty, violence, ill-intensions, etc across all plausible age groups. Having said that, at some point in the novel, each character exuded raw, pure, intuitive, and wild feelings of love, passion, and/or commiseration that I couldn’t keep myself from loving the characters. Well, that’s about the primary theme of the novel, you could consider, leading the narrators to comment on characters and their ways based on their own understanding and commitments towards moral theology; drawing a line between good and evil.

Another major concern that Wuthering Heights brings forth is the presence of gothic elements. The reason that these gothic elements are so naturally and conveniently accommodated in the book is the novel’s setting. Wuthering Heights, as the title suggests, is set in the eerie and gloomy Yorkshire moors and those two country houses/dwellings prevalent throughout the novel – Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange – completely isolated from the surrounding villages. The tumultuous, violent, and raging weather that this setting is often subjected to, symbolizes the dark and negative emotions of characters; the emotions probably leading the characters to unconsciously practice grotesque yet passionate yet unconsummated romance, necrophilia, incest, cruelty, jealousy, revenge, and betrayal. Apart from these, the mysterious, dark, and moody character of Heathcliff emerges as a gothic villain. And his lover, the female protagonist, Catherine Earnshaw is a free spirit, selfish and headstrong; her loyalties torn between two men – her soulmate Heathcliff, and her husband Edgar Linton, who becomes to Catherine a tool for preserving her social status.

The desire for power and social structure has a pronounced influence on the characters of Wuthering Heights and become determining factors for the course of action. The novel put greater emphasis on death, attaining higher and spiritual levels of meaning and being. The lead characters defy even present day morals and ethics; breaking the barriers of an average romance story; powerful and supernatural romantic imagination cutting across the boundaries of heaven and hell; a love story beyond comprehension, reason, civilization, and order, this wildly creative novel seeks an alternative to the basic nature of everyday reality.

Happy Reading!

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Disclaimer: This article is intended for review purposes only. The author does not promote or recommend any behavior illustrated here or claim it to be useful.

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Book Review: Better Than Sex by Atima Mankotia

Book Review

Better Than Sex by Atima Mankotia

Better Than Sex by Atima Mankotia

Author: Atima Mankotia

ISBN: 978-8194337300

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Family & Relationships

Length:  288 Pages

Publisher: Readomania (10^th February 2020)

My Ratings: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌠

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/2AUDc0R

About the author: 

Atima Mankotia, an alumnus of St Stephen’s College and XLRI Jamshedpur, worked in print, publishing and electronic media for over twenty-five years. Currently, she is teaching Human Resource Management, Organizational Behaviour and Communication in a business school in Delhi and is also pursuing her PhD. Her first novel Staring at the Square Moon was published by Readomania in 2017. She lives in Delhi with her husband Ajay Mankotia and has two children.

Atima Mankotia with her first novel 'Staring at the Square Moon'

Instagram: @atimamankotia
Twitter: @atimamankotia

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atimam

REVIEW

Summary

Better Than Sex by Atima Mankotia─ a YA contemporary and family & relationships fiction is an outstanding and neatly-written book set amidst the hustle-bustle of a no-nonsense Indian wedding in seemingly perfect families where the author delves deeper into unforgettable and realistic characters to bring forth distinctive personalities, addressing subjects like gender identity, societal conventions, and complicated, unconventional relationships; all this with light-hearted humor and a mystery to keep you at the edge of your seat. 

Narration

Better Than Sex is probably the most realistic book I’ve ever read in this genre. It is written in third-person POV following the main character Meenu, the bride. The story basically introduces you to the principal members of both the families. The narration is non-linear and to-the-point. The language is decorated with fine vocabulary and is efficient.

Location and Setting

The story takes place on a bus, driving the marriage party and the bride from Delhi to Chandigarh after the Vidai ceremony concludes. This entire book is a journey from dawn to dusk, briefly yet meticulously exploring characters with various backgrounds and past.  Even in this brief journey, Atima Mankotia has made the best out of it. Chandigarh and Delhi definitely influence the story in some sequences. Delhi University colleges, their culture, dating life of students and Fertilizer Company in Chandigarh are some of the setting-driven subjects. Otherwise, the story is highly influenced by the characters alone.

Theme & Characters

Family & relationships can be described as the main theme of this book. Family drama is not what you can find in this book, it’s free from any such exaggerated nonsense. After a woeful experience of the Vidai ceremony, Meenu is grappling with anxiousness around the strange people who just became her new family members all of a sudden. The fact that her mother, Kamlesh forgets to remind her a thing that she never fails to do when someone is leaving the house, adds up to Meenu’s anguish. Danny, the groom belongs to the Khullar family that has seen the days of struggle during the financial crisis. Roop, Danny’s aunt is portrayed as a formidable and an excellent woman of the household, who never compromises with the wellbeing of her family. On the other hand, Kamlesh, Meenu’s mother has suffered a lot due to her mother-in-law’s toxic behavior and establishes a joyful bond with her daughters-in-law. These families are perfect on the outside, but they have some really dark secrets concealed from each other. The author portrays how torturing it can be, having different sexual preferences than the majority. The book also displays how societal conventions and norms can abandon our simple basic physical needs. Additionally, it prompts readers to contemplate about the unconventional societal behaviors and intimate relations.

Plot

The non-linear narration gives insight into how these families function and how some characters contribute to their families. Mainly they are the influential women of the household. As Neena Gupta ji says in her book review, these are the quirky life stories that every woman will relate to. However, a significant part of the plot is driven by male characters also. As the story progresses, you will become aware of the fact that, you’re yet to discover the secrets. Simultaneously, you will crave the conflict to be settled down but it just won’t. The end is satisfying but I wanted more of it. I really wish there would be a sequel.

I forgot to mention 'sex'. Truly, there are many feelings that are definitely better than sex, you'll find out in this novel. But the book is much more than what the title might suggest.

My Opinion

I loved how Atima Mankotia has included so many remarkable characters and an effective plotline in this light read. Clearly, I didn’t want this to end. I didn’t find humor so compelling. Although, everything in this book is very relatable as we have attended at least one such Indian wedding. There are a couple of scenes that left an everlasting impression. I never felt bored while reading this book and it kept me to the edge of my seat until the end. It was indeed a fun read and I would recommend this to you all.

Happy Reading!

========================

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Book Review: A Year of Wednesdays by Sonia bahl | Exceptionally Brilliant

Book Review

A Year of Wednesdays by Sonia Bahl

A Year of Wednesdays by Sonia Bahl

Author: Sonia Bahl

ISBN: 978-9388810654

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Length: 280 Pages

Publisher:  FingerprintPublishing (1 March 2019)

My Ratings: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/2LYIKvw

About the author:

Born and raised in Kolkata, Sonia has lived and worked in Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Jakarta, Miami, Brussels, Johannesburg, and Singapore. With home being everywhere and nowhere, her belief in the power of the moment became a religion. An affirmation that unexpected and undeniable human connections are everything. Meanwhile, on the work front, she spent a huge chunk of her life, her days, and sleepless nights, in advertising—writing ads for all things from coffee and cars to condoms and candy—while dreaming of morphing 30-second commercials to full-length feature films. Not surprisingly, she threw caution, and her full-time job as creative director, to the winds and embarked on a riveting rejection-filled screenwriting journey in the US.

Finally her day job entails writing movies! In a recent, delightful plot twist, her debut novel, The Spectacular Miss, was optioned by a leading Bollywood studio and she was commissioned to write the screenplay. Sonia writes and re-writes in Singapore where she lives with her menagerie: gorgeous itinerant daughter, honorary proofreader husband, and her made-for-the-movies golden retriever, Ari Gold.

Sonia Bahl in conversation with HerStory

Follow the author on Instagram: @soniabahl.ink

Twitter Handle: @soniabahl
Check out her Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/soniabahl.writer/

REVIEW

A Year of Wednesdays is a work of Contemporary-Fiction, written with exceptional brilliancy and I’m not even exaggerating. The book felt more like an impromptu journey than a perfect plotted story. It’s a first-person point of view narration of two strangers connected through their first and only encounter. I found it wittiest that how these characters present their point of view to each other and even in their own minds. And oh, I can’t even describe how well the writing style is, like A++ minus─ (minus), eventually A+++. It is absolutely brilliant, the author Sonia Bahl enlightens us with insights on the planet & its population, climate change, lefties, a lot of movies and quotes.

"You should never have to tell someone how to love you."

The strangers are called Seat 7A and Seat 7B. Seat 7A is the cool Wall Street guy and Seat 7B is the mom-with-the-drool-stained-sweater-and-ordinary-aspirations. After the first encounter, they leave and continue to live their distinct and way too different lifestyles in New York. Seat 7A is a goal-oriented working in an oil-trading firm. Seat 7B works for a small nature fund, she’s a green warrior. Seat 7A has a girlfriend; Natasha is nothing-or-nobody-can-stand-between-me-and-my-career girl. Seat 7B is married to her love of life, Riz with two kids and one of them is a toddler. They have a pet also.

"Losing someone is always unfair."

A Year of Wednesdays, the collection of Wednesdays to look into their individual life and understand their perspective on life, whether it’s all about winning or the love and why is that? They might have left the flight, but not the memories of never-ending arguments. It’s like they are living in each other’s mind, still connected. Sonia Bahl has represented their lives in Wednesdays, through their daily struggles and for one reason or another happens to remember those arguments and defend their point of views.

"Imagine what a gift it is to have someone give you their full attention because they really do want to hear you."

One thing they don’t know is, what the other one’s going through currently in their life. The Wednesdays continue with its course, portraying moments of happiness, sorrow, fun, their life stories and never-ending thoughts. The major conflict of the book is capitalism and how that approach to the economy does not take into consideration the preserving of natural resources. The constant use of such economic system can result in depletion of natural resources and that we are living at the expense of our future generation. Anyways, Seat 7A does his job as demanded, enjoying the perks of being a trader and exaggerate the idea of saving the earth and there’s nothing wrong in what he is doing, supporting capitalism through oil trading firm. He would not understand the idea of pausing and reflecting back on life. Seat 7B is all about little moments of love, joy and kindness, she believes that if her boys learn and teaches kindness, her job is done. But we all know that nothing’s right or wrong. It always varies.

Towards the end, the author Sonia Bahl opens the secret doors to their lives, reveals their close-to-heart moments and the life stories, and explains what makes them who they are now. As the pages turn, the words seem to be touched by poignance. The feeling grows intense of confronting each other and putting the full stop to the never-ending arguments they’re having in the head. And that is what exactly happens.

"I can't decide if it's worse to carry the load of crazy sadness from losing a parent or the one that comes from knowing you'll never miss a parent you'll lose."

You would ask what all so good about A Year of Wednesdays, I will say ‘EVERYTHING’. As you start reading the book, you start laughing out loud. Like, the analogies and the comparisons the author has used are hilarious sometimes. Moving forward, you get used to the fun and joyful moments. A Year of Wednesdays is full of references─ quotes, movies, pop-culture and what not. Yes, Harry Potter is also a part of this, whose 39^th birthday was the last Wednesday of July. There are life-changing and life-saving insights that made me wonder only, how didn’t I know this before. That adorable couple parenting two little boys. With that, emotions take over you─ love, compassion, care and warmth. Then comes the feelings of sorrow and loss. But that humour, insights and arguments never fade away. In the end, the book leaves you filled with emotions yet numb. You get so used to with those impactful and captivating characters that you would not want to leave them because that means giving up those ever-lasting Wednesdays.

HAPPY READING WEDNESDAY!

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