Book Review : Can Love Happen Twice?

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Blurb View:

When Ravin first said ‘I love you…’ he meant it forever. The world has known this through Ravin’s bestselling novel, I Too Had a Love Story. But did Ravin’s story really end on the last page of that book?

On Valentine’s Day, a radio station in Chandigarh hosts a very special romantic chat show. Ravin and his three best friends are invited as guests to talk about Ravin’s love story. But surprisingly, everyone apart from Ravin turns up. As the show goes live, there is only one question in every listener’s mind: what has happened to Ravin?

To answer this question the three friends began reading from a handwritten copy of Ravin’s incomplete second book – the entire city listens breathlessly, unable to believe the revelations that follow.

This highly anticipated novel by Ravinder Singh is an emotional rollercoaster that bravely explores the highs and lows of love.

Review:

And…I’m exasperated with the sequel too. It’s not that I had very high hopes on this one, but I had assumed the second book would be at least at par with the first one, if not better. But (<- this is the word I seem to be using the most while writing reviews on Ravinder Singh’s penmanship!) – I am indeed sorry to assure most readers that this is not worth their money, not even at 84 after discount. The book starts better than it ends. The first few pages promise of a lean potential to carry the plot forward, but every effort turns futile after the valentine’s-day-book-reading-radio-chat-show chapter. The author drags the story along with the same protagonist Ravin from his previous book. Ravin’s depression due to various reasons is an integral part of the plot, but it is executed quite poorly on paper.

The author has etched the other protagonist in this book very shabbily. I feel pity for Simar, who deserved more and better details in the book than being portrayed as an immature and horny girl.
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Book Review : I Too Had A Love Story

Blurb View:

Do Love Stories Ever die?.. How would you React when a beautiful person comes into your life, and then goes away from you… forever?

Not all love stories are meant to have a perfect ending. I Too Had a Love Story is one such saga. It is the tender and heartfelt tale of Ravin and Khushi, two people who found each other on a matrimonial site and fell in love … until life puts their love to the ultimate test. Romantic, emotional and sincere, this heartbreaking true life story has already touched a million hearts. This bestselling novel is a must read for anyone who believes in the magic of love …

Review:

I had seen glimpses of this book here and there on various websites, but did not have the time or reason to give it a read. Recently a friend mentioned that the author is her friend’s relative and its a true story. So I grabbed a copy hoping it would be worth, but..I surely was disappointed. The plot is touching indeed, there is no doubt about that. Who wouldn’t want to read a love story about a couple who meet and part by death? The kernel of the story is pretty appealing with attributes like a foreword written by N.R. Narayana Murthy (ex-CEO and co-founder of Infosys) and the author being an MBA from a leading B-school in India. All these attract the readers, especially the teenage ones looking for some extra mush in their hectic lives. But, and there is a big BUT here, the writing style did not attract me at all.

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Braided In Time : 55-Fiction

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This post is an entry for the ‘Beautiful Ends To Your Beautiful Braids‘ contest, powered by Indiblogger, in collaboration with Dove Split Ends Rescue System.

Vote for my post here.

The Husband

“You are looking beautiful in this saree, wifey.”

“What is my gift this anniversary?”

Light turned off the man’s face.

He came up silently behind his wife, standing in front of a makeshift mirror.

In the shimmering silver of a full moon through their cracked ceiling, he pinned a gajra carefully on her lengthy braid.

The Father

“Dad, how do I look in these braids?”

“Where did you..How on earth did you get hold of..?”

“It’s mom’s.”

“But..she’s gone for years.”

“She left this as a parting gift because I loved it.”

“You look exactly like her when she was sixteen.”

Mom looked at them smiling from a framed photograph.

The Grandfather

“Bye, Grandpa. I’m getting late for college.”

“Why are you in such fancy dress today?”

“Today is our ethnic day. Not only that, its a pre-independence theme.”

Now grandpa takes a closer look and is mesmerized.

“I see you have braided your beautiful hair, for a change!”

“And I’m also wearing grandma’s silk.”

Smile. Bliss.

Corporate Cues : 55-Fiction

This post has been chosen as a BlogAdda WOW post.

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda. The theme for this weekend is – Start your post with ‘A young executive was nervously biting her nails.’

Induction

A young executive was nervously biting her nails.

“Girls here have to follow our guidelines. We are an American company, not an Indian one.”

“You will not wear skirts in our premises.”

What! American?

“Not even formal ones, sir?”

“It is unacceptable in our culture.”

‘Our’! American?

“The company is American, but we’re proud Indians.”

Client Interview

A young executive was nervously biting her nails.

“Ye understand aar requirements, nigh?”

The phone was on speaker. She was still biting her nails.

The Irish client was growing impatient. She mumbled something.

‘You understand our requirements, or no?’ Her boss roughly translated and passed on.

The interview went for another hour. She went through.

Onsite

A young executive was nervously biting her nails.

It was her third lunch on foreign soil.

She was lost and lonely in the huge cafeteria with innumerable food options.

Somebody came and joined her table. Then came another.

And another.

Someone said, “Hey, we’re a team.” Others echoed.

She looked at them with bleary eyes.

Resignation

A young executive was nervously biting her nails.

It was the first time she was composing a resignation.

She wondered whether to be polite or blunt with her words.

Bing. Bing.

Her incoming mail read, ‘Your services are no longer required with us.’

She sighed in relief.

So they already knew why she were leaving.

* This is my first attempt at 55-fiction and first entry for any blogging contest. Readers, please let me know its follies and laurels. If you like the post, please vote for me here *