Author: Milan Vohra
Publisher: Amazon Kindle
What is your take on novellas?
The Call by Milan Vohra is a bite-sized novella that
tells us the story of how one phone call can change multiple lives. Shyamali is
a new mother, trying to adjust to motherhood. As she receives a phone call one
night, she is tempted to take a decision that might impact her life, and change
a few more of those around her. The events, as they unfold, help her develop a
sense of realization about the people around her, and the decision she is
contemplating has to be taken before the morning. The question, however, is
what would you have done had you been in Shayamali’s place?
An extremely short story that explores a concept that is way deeper than it seems to be. Told in a fast-paced narrative over the period of one night, the plot is quite interesting, and almost seems to be inspired from real life. The story explores ideas such as motherhood, sexual abuse, and the very basic idea of how women are treated in a highly patriarchal society of today. The twists of events that happen in the story are swift, and one that are not easily anticipated. The climax was intelligently done, and the last line of the story is moving, and painful at the same time.
Since it is a short story, the characters do
not get too much of space, but I liked the manner on which Milan has taken the
people from the everyday life, and woven them into this story. Shyamali is an
interesting study as a character, along with Rosy who appears briefly, yet
manages to hold the narrative.
Overall, a recommended read, just in time for Women’s Day and scores a 4.5/5 for me.
Grab your copy here.
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