Blurb View:

Akriti has led a pretty much sheltered life.
Zayn has been shuttled from city to city when he was growing up.
She is comfortable watching her life from the sidelines.
He wants to feel rooted to a place he can call ‘home’.
They meet each other quite by chance.
And both seize the chance to be someone they both need in their lives:
For Zayn, it’s a ‘Partner-In-Crime’.
For Akriti, someone who just knows how to be there for her…
When their worlds collide,
It is not what either of them expected it to be.
Zayn has a steady girlfriend. And Akriti has a crush on him.
What happens these two become friends?
The biggest adventure of their lives? Or the road to heartbreak?
What happens when two completely different people collide?
Do they become friends? Or, is their friendship doomed from the start?
‘When Our Worlds Collide’ is the story of two twenty-three-year olds,
Who are finally growing up and finding their feet in the world.
A tale of friendship and love, crushes and betrayals, messes and second chances,
Marriage and divorce… and the elusive happily ever after!

Review:

Aniesha Brahma has been a steady writer of romance. I’ve read all her books now, this one even before its release! Romance for young adults doesn’t need to be cheesy and Aniesha is one of those rare YA writers in India whom you can trust not making it cheesy.

You begin with an interesting line in the preface –

‘It’s not always about the happy ending, sometimes it’s about the story.’ 

I loved it, as I believe in it. Happy endings have cliche to such an extent that people have stopped liking stories that don’t have one. But it’s the story that matters at the end, not the ‘happy ending.’

When Our Worlds Collide is about a few souls, not just about a boy and a girl falling in or out in love. It’s about childhood, teenhood, friendship, things-more-complicated and love. It’s about Akriti and her dysfunctional family , her struggles in life and in making friends, Ayoub – who’s like a whiff of fresh air to people he meets, Zayn – who is confused and at times not so, Suzanna – who is a quirky and wonderful, and a few others. Akriti, our protagonist goes through a lot in her life since teens and it has made her a complicated and dense character with no friends. Now, in her adult life, enters a kind of half-friend, Nimmi and her boyfriend, Zayn. They claim her friendship through a series of events and Akriti founds herself engrossed in poetry slams and Zayn’s friendship.

There is a roller coaster ride of friendship, their escapades in Kolkata, their love for the city that unites them, and things that are much more than just being buddies. Akriti relives her life a way, discovers new elements in her life, mends her reltionships with both her parents and revives the cafe she runs along with her mother. Ayoub and Suzanna are very strong supports as friends and bring the much needed freshness in the otherwise mature story.

Aniesha has a very easy way of writing that will keep you hooked to the book. Her language is lucid and never overwhelms the story. It is a very enjoyable book and recommended for romance buffs, as well as all young adults. You’ll find a piece of yourself or any of your friends in each character of this book.

P.S. Unlimited Thanks to Aniesha for adding my name in the acknowledgements – proud of you !

My Rating: 4.5/5

About the Author:

Aniesha Brahma knew she wanted to be a writer since she was six years old. She was schooled in Dolna Day School and went on to pursue B.A., M.A., and M.Phil in Comparative Literature from Jadavpur University. She currently lives in Kolkata, with her family and five pet cats. The Secret Proposal was her debut novel, followed by The Guitar Girl. She was a contributing author with her story The Difference, in the anthology: Voices, Old & New. When Our Worlds Collide is her third work of fiction, and first novella.

Book Details:

Language: English,  Genre: Fiction/Romance

Author(s): Aniesha Brahma

Publisher: General Press , Year Published: October 2015

Format: Kindle, Edition: First, Pages: 117

ASIN: B017EL0B2E

Buy Kindle Edition-

This review is also shared with The Indian Quills Reading Challenge at The Tales Pensieve.