Afsaane (A Collection of Short Stories)-Ameya Bondre

Book: Afsaane- A Collection of Short Stories
Author: Ameya Bondre
Publisher: Bluerose Publications

Afsaane by Ameya Bondre is a collection of 11 short stories that explore various emotions of life like unrequited love, hope, heartbreaks and more. Distances is the story of how a couple get divorced, yet the memories of their trip flash before him as they drive down. Dreams is the story of a failed artists who finds another one in an unexpected place. Blinkers On tells us a story of how a new entrant can change the story of a family in one chance. Unrequited love is the theme of Chaos and how the protagonist closes a chapter of his life. They say that the one we truly never leave us, and that’s the premise of the story of A Regular Date where we meet a couple who are bickering on moving on with their lives while one of them finds a new partner. Trapped is a third person account of Vishal as we see his life unfold in front of us, from the perspective of someone who was inside him. A Healthy Home is a witty take on the social aspect of our machinery and how the data collection and the ground reality is starkly different from what is shown to us. Not in the Dark is a story of how jealousy can play with someone’s mind and blind them completely. Infidelity affects not just the couple, but the people around them, and A Frantic Call captures that situation. Long Distance relationships are tricky and Deaf shows us the story of one such couple. Long Lost is the story of two friends who are separated and meet again under unusual circumstances only to some weird situations.

The book is a treasure trove of some amazing stories that would touch your heart. Each of the stories explores a different emotion that you would have experienced or seen around you. The plot of the stories is intriguing and each of the story has an element of surprise that adds an interesting flavor to the stories. One thing that was excellent about the storytelling was the level of detail of description of the characters and the situations that help you create a complete picture of the scenes as they unfold. I loved the stories Dreams, Chaos, Long Lost and A Regular Date which were first among equals for me. The cover of the book is another added gem that shows you snippets related to each of the stories in the book.

The characters have been beautifully sketched and taken from the world around us. This is one thing that makes the stories relatable and worthy of a read.

Overall, a good book that scores 4.38/5 for me.

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An Unfinished Melody-Ravinder Singh with Richa S Mukherjee

Book: An Unfinished Melody
Author: Ravinder Singh with Richa S Mukherjee
Publisher: HarperCollins India

Do you believe that life always gives you a chance to be happy?

An Unfinished Melody is a part of the e-singles series by Ravinder Singh & Richa S Mukherjee which chronicles the story of Aradhana Kashyap, as she goes through her normal, not-so-interesting life where she feels bored and ignored by her husband. Things change for her when she gets stuck in an elevator with a guy, Yash, who is a music teacher for her neighbors. The time spent stuck in the lift sparks something different in her emotionally, and as the story unfolds, she stares at a crossroad in life when she is dealt a shock that changes her life forever. It is a story of love, fidelity and happiness.

There are stories that have an unusual charm in them, ones that will keep you engaged till the end. An Unfinished Melody is truly one of them. The storyline is wavy with multiple emotions playing with the tune of the story as it proceeds. As the title suggests, it is almost as if you are watching a musical unfold. The descriptions are very specific and vivid. From the flat number, to the elevator and to the view from her balcony, each of them paint a complete picture of the surroundings of Aradhana, and the mood she feels. Beginning on a happy note, to the staring eyes, each scene of the book has been painted beautifully. The dilemma presented has been crafted in a beautiful way, and the path it takes was exhilarating. One of the scenes towards the climax with the rain was just too raw and makes you understand the pain both of the characters are feeling. Though it being a not-so-happy story, the antics of Yash did make me smile at multiple places in the book. The climax of the story was totally unexpected and heartbreaking, one that changed the entire perspective of the story.

The characters in the book are quite realistic in the manner they are sketched. Aradhana is the young, married lady who was suffering due to the choices her husband made for her, and the social construct of how a married household should look like. Yash was the happy-go-lucky guy of the story who added a dash of color to this story.

Overall, the journey was sweet, and I would love to give this story 4 guitars and 1 mandolin.

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Love, Loss, Life, Laughter & More-Ritu Kakar

Book: Love, Loss, Life, Laughter & More
Author: Ritu Kakar
Publisher: Amazon Kindle

Love, Loss, Life, Laughter & More by Ritu Kakar is a collection of 10 short stories that deal with the emotions of love, loss, life and laughter primarily. Each of the 10 stories explore a different emotion that is quite raw and interesting. Each of the story ends on a cliffhanger and the story after that is left to the imagination of the reader. Some of the stories also explore lust as a primary emotion, and the manner in which Ritu has taken them up is commendable. The plot of each story is engaging and good to read. The one thing that can be improved is the editing of the book as there are some very basic issues like spelling errors, misspelling of character names and the like. Of the 10 stories, the one that caught my eyes were Blind Date and Soulmates. Full Circle was also an interesting story but could have been better if it had more substance to it.

The stories are character driven, rather than plot driven and it is the emotion of the character that takes the story forward. In most of the stories, it is the decision of the character that defines the plot. Another interesting thing is that many of the stories are female-character driven which makes them a good read as well.

Overall, the book scores a 3.06/5 for me.

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The Signet Ring-Kapil Dabur

Book: The Signet Ring
Author: Kapil Dabur
Publisher: Leadstart Publishing

Do you believe in the concept of immortal beings, or chiranjeevis?

The Signet Ring by Kapil Dabur is a story about a brotherhood that strives to avenge the injustice meted to it eons ago by Lord Vishnu. With the story set in present times, it chronicles the journey of its two lead characters-Jupiter and Kartik as they set out to uncover the secret the Lord tried to hide ages ago. Blending present with History and Mythology, the book travels from prehistoric times through mythology, mixing it with technology, mythology and devotion as it tries to uncover the biggest treasure known to Mankind.

The Signet Ring is a book with an interesting twist in the manner in which it is told. Being a story that has elements of mystery, mythology and fiction, it was a good read that explored a different dimension of the Indian mythological stories about the avatars of Lord Vishnu. The plot was crisp and mature that would engage the reader and compel him to turn the page. The element of surprise was present multiple times in the story and the author has used some really interesting historical factoids to make the plot seem plausible. While the plot was great, the book suffers with some issues. The first being the time and location confusion as we see the story unfolding in multiple parts of the world but yet the characters manage to travel to Indian locales quickly. This could have been improved by mentioning the location of the chapter before it began. Second was the time inconsistency as the story spans a long time, but the exact passage of time is not understood at many locations. I really hope that a revision is done in the subsequent editions so that such a great story gets its due. The climax was good that tied the entire story up.

Coming to the characters, I loved the manner in which the antagonist of the book was shown to be slightly powerful than the protagonist, at least just before the end. The background stories of the characters tied up to the mythological equivalents was great. I expected a bit more story behind that of Dr. Indira and Mahesh as they were shown to be quite critical, but that harms the current storyline in no manner.

The book scores a 3.25/5 for me.

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The Art of Being Grateful & Other Stories-Manali Desai

Book: The Art of Being Grateful & Other Stories
Author: Manali Desai
Publisher: Amazon Kindle

The Art of Being Grateful & Other Stories by Manali Desai is a collection of 8 short stories that cover a myriad of emotions.

Warned in Love is the story of Aashna who receives a mysterious phone call that sends chills down her spine. The Art of Being Grateful is the story of Sakshi who has a habit of overanalyzing everything, rather than enjoying the present, and how her perspective of life takes a turn. Unlike in the Movies is the story of Tanvi and Maanav and how they break the traditional conceptions of a guy and girl being friends. Self Happiness above All tells us the story of Maanvi’s life and how she realizes that her own choices are more important as compared to the advice of the people around her. As You Please is a social commentary on how conventional marriages work and the underlying problem in it. A Fairy Tale Christmas is a story of the innocence of a child and how love of parents can bring anything to life. Love in the Air takes us through the journey Prerna undertakes, both literally and figuratively, as she struggles with her baggage. No Witnesses is an emotional story of how one day changed Sumit’s and Abhay’s life and how they became a family.

The stories in the book are ones that invoke a myriad of emotions in the reader. Each of the story touches a different emotional chord and the book feels as if one is consuming a plateful of food that has all the flavors on it. Just like a thali has a little of everything, this book has a little bit of everything-horror, self-improvement, gratitude, love, friendship, and what not. The analogy does not end here. Manali has added few condiments at the end of the book that enhance the flavor of the journey manifold. Each of the story has its own cover and that is something that’s quite interesting and innovative. With recommended readings at the end of each story, it is as if you are being served second helpings of what you loved in the platter. The storytelling is engaging and the little notes at the end are the cherry atop the cake.

Each of the story has a set of characters that are unique, yet relatable at multiple levels as you can find them around you, in your immediate friends or family.

Overall a great read that scores a 4.13/5 for me.

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The Cryptic Clutch (Pari and Nakul Book 1)-A.M. Rain

Book: The Cryptic Clutch (Pari and Nakul Book 1)
Author: A.M. Rain
Publisher: Amazon Kindle

Do you think that something you see in a dream might just come true?

The Cryptic Clutch (Pari & Nakul Book 1) by A. M. Rain (pen name of Varsha Dixit) is the story of Pari, a young girl who lives with her grandmother Kalpi in the town of Coonoor. While being a regular teenager, she has to wear gloves all the time, for she has a secret which, if came to light, could be disastrous. Things were not easy for her, with her gloves becoming an object of ridicule in a school. Things take a turn when a fire occurs in her school, and she is exhorted by Nakul, the nephew of her neighbor to take off her gloves to escape and save the others. Flummoxed that a person who she has known for barely a week knows about her powers, she returns home just to find things have changed drastically.

The book is a short read that has a good storytelling that has an element of mystery from the word go. A fantasy book, the story keeps you guessing as to what the plot of the book is, and you cannot guess the actual point till towards the end of the book. That is something I would really commend the author on. She has truly maintained a fine balance between a fantasy which piques a reader’s interest. The thing that didn’t work me was the one-sided narration and the unbalanced story. Had the author included some more information and more incidents, probably that could have improved the story a lot. The language in the book is simple, easy to understand, and most importantly, apt for the story and the age of the characters. The climax is nail-biting and will keep you looking out for the second part of the book.

Coming to the characters, the author has crafted her characters beautifully with some innovative character quirks. Pari with her gloves and carefree attitude, Kalpi with her absentmindedness, Aunty Xin with her quirky walk and the Goth Nakul add an interesting flavor to the story that add to the beautiful storytelling. I am looking forward as to what she has planned for the characters in the coming books. The surprise change in the characters towards the end of the book was a pleasant surprise.

Overall, a good story that gets a 3.56/5 from me.

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The Trishul Killer- Himanshu Goel

Book: The Trishul Killer
Author: Himanshu Goel
Publisher: Amazon Kindle

Do you support vigilante justice for social crimes?

The Trishul Killer by Himanshu Goel is a fast-paced flash read about a vigilante who is out on the streets killing the rapists and sexual assault perpetrators who had escaped the grasp of the society. The victims are found brutalized and branded with a Trishul on their chest, the media has dubbed the murderer as The Trishul Killer. Can Sonia Rana, the star inspector catch the killer before he claims his next victim?

The Trishul Killer has an interesting storyline that is as fast paced as it is gripping. The story opens with the scene of a crime where Sonia is addressing the media when she receives the news of another murder with the same modus operandi. On that scene of the crime she discovers something that might just crack open the case. Yash blurs the right between legal and moral correctness and the social correctness of a vigilante justice system. The story will grab the reader for sure and engage them for sure. The climax is nail-biting and surprising.

A definite recommendation, the book scores a 4.13/5 for me.

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Jazeera: Legend of the Fort Island-Yash Pawaskar

Book: Jazeera: Legend of the Fort Island
Author: Yash Pawaskar
Publisher: Amazon Kindle

Do you think that nature has its own mechanism of correcting wrongs perpetrated by man?

Jazeera by Yash Pawaskar is set in the 14^th century BC. The political climate is terse, with the Northern Sultanate moving its capital from Delhi to Daulatabad and back and suffered huge economic losses in this transition. The southern states come together as the Sujaynagar Empire and aim to push back the Sultanate. Amidst this chaos, Jazeera, a fort island on the west coast of the country and a vassal of the Sultanate, is plagued by a mysterious Shadow, who starts kidnapping children from the island. Whispers suggest that there’s black magic at play to invoke the mighty Timingila. Jazeera’s ambitious Sultan and the pragmatic Wazir summon an Officer from the Sultanate to solve this mystery. The island has a haunting past, a turbulent present, and a prophetic future. Jazeera: Legend of the Fort Island unravels it all in a thrilling manner.

The book has an interesting storyline with 2 parallel tracks where we see life on the island as well as the mainland in overlapping chapters. Divided into 3 parts-The present, the past and the present again, the narrative in engaging and makes for a good read. The author has taken inspiration from real locations and as a person who has visited the said inspiration, the images painted by the author are quite vivid and inspired from the local folklore. The plot creates a mystery at first and as the book inches towards the end, the things unravel and wrap the story up with a bow. The one thing that could have been better in the book had we understood the mystery of the room with the mirrors from the beginning as that did not give that shock that it should have probably given.

Coming to the characters, Yash has taken time to create a backstory for each of the central characters. Be it the Wazir, the Queen or the Tyrant ruler of the island, each of them had their reason as to their actions. As the second part of the book begins, we get to know the story behind the current situation and as it progresses, you see the character arc getting established. The scene where the evilness of the king comes out was quite dramatic, yet it set the tone for the rest of the story.

One thing that deserves a mention is the presence of some very great quotes in the book that are quite inspiring and handy.

Overall, the book scores a 4.13/5 from me.

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Stories of Us-Bobby Sachdeva

Book: Stories of Us
Author: Bobby Sachdeva
Publisher: Pan Macmillan India

Do you believe that the issues that plague us socially are inherently because of our own faults?

Stories of Us by Bobby Sachdeva is written in the voice of a common man, with each of the 41 stories dealing with a specific aspect of a social evil from greed, to lust to social segregation. The author has questioned the everyday practices in an unorthodox manner. The stories are sure to motivate the reader and rethink the existing social practices one follows.

Stories of Us by Bobby Sachdeva is written in a simple and lucid manner that is easy to read. The stories are bite sized and can be read, understood and ingrained easily. The plot of the stories seem to be derived from everyday life of a common man and the situations can very easily be observed around each of us. With a storytelling format, the plot is presented in the presented tense, which however does not seem right with the plot. Another thing that did not work for me was the length of the stories. The stories are too short to completely make the point they intend to do. They start and end too fast, even before the story sinks in. This was a major drawback for me as I did not feel content after finishing them. Instead of cramming 41 stories in a book with such short lengths, had there been lesser number of stories but more content, I think it would have come out better.

Being a short stories, there are no central characters, but in each of the stories, the characters are drawn from the common life around us and seem relatable. The plots are quite short to establish an arc, but they relate well with the concept they are trying to portray.

Overall, a decent book but could have been better.

This one scores a 3.13/5.

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The Runaway Groom-Ravinder Singh with Richa S Mukherjee

Book: The Runaway Groom
Author: Ravinder Singh with Richa S Mukherjee
Publisher: HarperCollins India

What would you do when faced with an impossible choice?

The Runaway Groom is the story of Arunoday, who races against time to face his fiancé on the day of their marriage and tell her that he cannot go through with the wedding, and then rush to the airport to catch a flight, all in a span of 40 minutes. What unravels next in this not-so-conventional story is a comedy of errors that highlight the cons of the decision our protagonist makes.

The story is thodi filmy, thodi comedy and that is what makes it a fun ride. The plot is simple and engaging which makes it a breezy read. A bite-sized read, it has every element that a story should have to make it enjoyable. Set in the background of a big-fat Indian wedding, the authors have used words to paint a picture of all that is happening in the story. There are some instances that would make you laugh uncontrollably, and some which are a jibe at the customs that we have. I loved the reference to the laddoos. The climax, though a bit expected, was refreshing in the way it was presented. A special mention to the way the emotions of the people are highlighted in the story.

The character of Arunoday is the classic male protagonist yet had a different vibe to him in the way he was sketched. I loved the character of Devika, and I would really love to see what happens after the book closes, maybe with a sequel.

The Groom runs away with 4 laddoos and 1 peda, scoring a 4.25 for me.

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The Midas Touch-Dr. Sheetal Nair

Book: The Midas Touch: 99 Pages to Acquire the Art of Alchemy & Forge Champions
Author: Dr. Sheetal Nair
Publisher: Flipping Pages

Do you think there is something beyond a leader?

The Midas Touch by Dr. Sheetal Nair is a book that explores the world beyond a leader. Inspired from the Greek Mythology and Indian Vedas, Dr. Nair explores the way a normal person can transform into a champion, much like the fabled Midas Touch. This book talks about how one can acquire the expertise to forge leaders. The author has delved deep into my interactions with inspiring leaders/mentors who have carved a niche for themselves & benchmarked their best practices for you to imbibe. There is a lot of Vedic & Greco-Roman cultural influence which you shall find in this book, as it draws a parallel between ancient knowledge & its modern interpretation. Each of the 22 Chapters should be perceived as a tool & this book aspires to serve as an instrument to learn techniques to develop leaders & forge them into champions.

Usually non-fiction is a genre that tends to be boring and with a lot of jargon and long chapters, which is not the case here. The chapters are short and crisp with a quick takeaway with each of them. The main points are presented as bullet points which help in retention as well as making notes, if needed. The strategies outlined in the book are quite simple, yet interesting and can be imbibed quite easily in our lives. There are no sermons as to follow a specific path, but a guidance to find your own self. The book has some very inspiring quotes by various people and are placed at strategic locations. There are a few editing errors in the book, nothing which cannot be removed in another round of editing.

Overall, a short and interesting read on the concept of the alchemical process of becoming a champion and improving each day.

The Midas Touch walks away with a 4.25/5 from me.

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Trending in Love-Pankaj Dubey

Book: Trending in Love
Author: Pankaj Dubey
Publisher: Penguin Random House India

What id the biggest thing that motivates you?

Trending in Love by Pankaj Dubey is the story of Sanam, a carefree but headstrong woman from Delhi, and Aamir, a young main from Kashmir who has hope in his heart. Both of them aspire to become an IAS officer, though the motivation for both is poles apart. Their hard work pays off when the results are announced and both of them are on the podium. They meet at the IAS Training Academy in Mussoorie. As the days pass, the distance between the two starts to blur and love starts blossoming in the mountain air. Things take a murky turn when they decide to spend their lives together, because of the religious divide. The book explores the love story of Sanam and Aamir and how they face the odds and choose love over society.

The first thing that jumps out when you finish the book is that the blurb isn’t that accurate to the plot. The book claims that it is the story about undying love in the face of society’s most dangerous beliefs, but as far as I understood, it was a love story, period. The part about the society felt was added as an afterthought, because it had no semblance to the entire narrative. With that part cast aside, the story was quite fresh and the author took time to get the details right. Creating a setting in the IAS Academy in Mussoorie was an interesting POV to use. The storytelling was quite imaginative with the scenes coming out alive as they progress, and I commend the author for such a visual treat. The climax of the story was a tad bit disappointing, with the societal pressure part coming out of the blue.

Coming to the characters in the book, Pankaj has created Sanam and Aamir in mirror image of each other, while one was headstrong and outgoing, the other preferred isolation and solitude.  The character of Sanam was quite intriguing with all her character quirks. Aamir was an interesting character study due to his growth as a character during the story. Kuldeep was another quirky character that made the story what it is with his timely interruptions and reactions that added nuance to the plot.

Overall, a good read which scores a 3.5/5 for me.

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Leaving and Other Stories (Lockdown Liaisons Book 1)-Shobhaa De

Book: Leaving and Other Stories (Lockdown Liaisons Book 1)
Author: Shobhaa De
Publisher: Simon and Schuster India

What has this lockdown inspired you to do?

Leaving and Other Stories (Lockdown Liaisons Book 1) is the first book of a collection of short stories by Shobhaa De, revolving around the theme of the lockdown. This book has 4 such stories. After this, Dubai? is the story of a woman lived the high life, with a plush lifestyle, who realizes the truth about life when her husband loses his job and stays at home. Leaving is the story of a construction worker in Dharavi, who has to comes to terms with the pandemic and has to choose between staying in Mumbai with Suman, a person he has fallen in love with, or to return home for survival. The Man who Wanted More is written from the perspective of a man who considers his wife his ticket to money and chided her on bringing less dowry and is willing to anything to make her suffer. A Whiff of Eternity is the story of a woman who has suffered multiple whammies due to the pandemic, and when it seems as if the things were finally going her way, she suffers another setback.

The stories are written in an interesting, unconventional manner, that adopt the tone and mannerisms of the characters they are representing. The plotlines of the stories are quite simple. They take up the idea pf the lockdown and then show its impact on the characters, both emotionally and physically as they adjust to the new normal. One thing that is common in the stories is the idea of love and how that changes with respect to the time and distance we are at with our loved ones.

Shobhaa is known for bringing in characters that seem real and the same is the case with the 4 stories in the book. Rustic, life-like, emotional, powerful, there are quite a few adjectives that describe the characters in this book. She has made fierce woman characters, who do not shy away from speaking their minds, and a greedy man, who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Each of the 4 stories have brought to fore a different perspective of the lockdown and how their lives got impacted by Covid.

Lockdown Liaisons Book One was quite a ride and scores a 4.25/5 for me.

Grab a copy here.