That Thing About You-Abhaidev

Book: That Thing About You

Author: Abhaidev

Publisher: Write India Publishers

Everyday we come across certain incidents that we pass of as trivial and sometimes as coincidences. Be it while travelling, in college, in office or while talking to a friend, there are always some incidents which make explaining them a tough job.

(Image courtesy: Goodreads.com)

That Thing About You is a book that begins with such a chance event. It is a story of a common man, Subodh that becomes uncommon by virtue of an incident that changes him completely. He is a regular IT employee, who is perceived as immature by everyone and even the girl he has a crush on, Sneha, rejects him for the same reason. Dejected and at a low point in his life, his life changes when he goes on an office trip to a theme village and buys some antiques. He also befriends an unusual and a mysterious woman who knows everything about him and appears at her whims and refuses to reveal her identity. Hereafter, Subodh’s life takes multiple turns making him visit a psychologist, foiling an arranged marriage attempt and even a request by his boss to take some days off.

That Thing About You explores a wonderful concept that maybe coincidences in our lives are nothing but a result of a dice thrown by some higher being and we are mere pawns in a game of chess.

That Thing About You is a refreshing take on the conventional love stories and the usual boy-meets-girl stories. The plot begins on an extremely different note and for a moment the reader is disoriented. As the story progresses and the plot takes shape, the importance of the prologue comes to light. The crisp plot keeps the reader engrossed and guessing through the story. There are a few red-herrings which will make a reader guess a few endings but all in vain. Abhaidev has created a different take and hence I would recommend going for the book in a single sitting. The plot is engrossing and at no point does it falter.

The characters of the book are interesting. The author has kept the characters simple and hence the entire focus goes on the plot rather than focussing on the characters. The setting of the book looks authentic and encapsulates a typical corporate office environment with gossips, grapevine and office romances, coupled with work pressure.

The ending of the book is totally unexpected and gives a completely different dimension to how I was perceiving the plot and the ending. Just for this, it deserves a round of applause.

All in all, a definite read for someone looking for a refreshing book.

That Thing About You scores a 4/5 on my scale.