When Strangers Meet-K. Hari Kumar

Book: When Strangers Meet
Author: K. Hari Kumar
Publisher: Srishti Publication

What if you could relive a particular moment of your life?

When Strangers Meet by K. Hari Kumar is the story of Jai, who is stranded at a Metro station with a stranger called Iyer, and a mysterious Pathan. The story revolves around the three characters, and the idea of the father-son relationship, and how each of our characters figure that out. The question arises, why was the Pathan looking at Jai strangely, and people stare in disbelief when he narrates the events that take place in the resting room of the station. What happened in the room, and how is it connected to Pathan and Jai is the story.

The story is very well conceived, and the entire plot is quite gripping in the way it unfolds. The storytelling is engaging, and the reader is motivated to turn the page, and not stop until the story ends. I loved the way the story has been structured, and how we see the lives of 3 people and the struggles they face over a period of time, and how fate conspires to bring them together. The language of the story is simple, and easy to comprehend, as well as suits the characters quite well. Iyer shows a typical Tamilian accent, whereas the staff at the metro station and the hospital have the Haryanvi touch. Apart from the story, I liked the surprise element that unfolds in the latter part of the book, altering the narrative significantly. There are some editing issues in the book in terms of grammar and spelling, though nothing critical. The climax was quite interesting, and a fitting closure to the story.

Coming to the characters, the story is primarily driven by Iyer and Jai, and their life. The mysterious Pathan and his family do play a crucial role, but it is the former two who actually lend their life to the story. I liked the way the character arc was set for them, detailing their childhood, letting the anger simmer and bubble and then come out to set in motion the events of the story. I would have loved to see the Pathan’s story in a bit of detail as well, because in the current situation, he felt more of a supporting character, rather than a prominent one.

The book scores a 3.88/5 for me.

Get a copy of the book here.