Equations-Shivani Sibal

Book: Equations
Author: Shivani Sibal
Publisher: HarperCollins India

What is your take on the societal divide in the Indian Context?

Equations by Shivani Sibal traces the journey of Aahan Sikand and Rajesh Kumar from the 1980s to 2016. Despite been brought up under the care of the same woman and living in the same house, they have starkly different realities - Aahan is the only son and heir of the fabulously wealthy Sikand family, and Rajesh is the son of Mr. Sikand's driver. As the years pass by, both of them realize that their friendship is coming to a close as they become aware of their places in the world. It is a story of aspiration and social change, of individual ambition and family bonds which delves into the secrets of New Delhi politics and business.

Some stories are simply told but they convey the deep reality of life. Equations brings to light the stark difference that exists in our society. The plot follows the life of two people who come together as friends in the unlikeliest of scenarios and then how life changes the equation they share. Another interesting aspect that Shivani takes up in her book is that of marriage and how the relationship between the partners is an equation that needs to be balanced through 3 examples. Shivani also goes on to explore the relationships of social need and how those can alter a person’s circumstances. The storytelling is fluid and easy to understand. The language suits the plot and the characters and gives an authentic feel to the story. I loved the manner in which she explores the different relationships, both from the characters’ perspectives as well as that of the society’s lens as well. While passing no critique or judgement, she puts forth a series of events and how the people embroiled in them decide to react to them. The climax is extremely well done, and I loved the way she played the story to deliver an almost poetic ending to the story.

The book stands on the power of the characters and Shivani’s characters are a force to reckon with. Aahan Sikand’s character as a third-generation elite, born with a silver spoon, sole heir to an empire is well sketched with his strengths and follies. Rakesh, on the other hand, takes his time to develop into the person we see towards the end. I loved how she uses a third character to fill the story gaps so that the character arc is complete and solid. Another character I loved was that of Laxman and how his sheer loyalty is shown across generations through multiple examples. Divya Sikand appears in parts but whenever she is a part of the story, she impacts the characters in a strong manner, especially the incident in the factory and Shimla.

Overall, Equations is a story that shows a mirror to the society that we have become and how relationships are impacted by perceptions and expectations. The book scores a 4.75/5 for me.

Get a copy of the book here.