Not Without Your Love-Arvind Parashar

Book: Not Without Your Love
Author: Arvind Parashar
Publisher: Srishti Publications

Do you think love can thrive in a conflict zone?

Not Without Your Love by Arvind Parashar is the story of Kabir, a young and dynamic travel journalist, who lands in Afghanistan for a special project, but has sights on something else, and Noosh, who has known Kabir since her college days and is buried under political unrest in her hometown, waiting for Kabir, the man of her dreams. When Kabir’s idol, Professor Sizov, offers him this special project in Afghanistan, it comes with a baggage – he has to be a spy. Little does he know that he is a part of a larger conspiracy that will ultimately lead to a war and crush his existence. After multiple setbacks and betrayals, he takes it upon himself to fight for love. Spread over years, this is a story of unresolved hatred and lasting friendships, of suspicions and unwavering faith, and of the power of true love that beats all odds.

The plot of the book is based on an interesting idea of love that cross borders and stands the test of time and adversity. The concept, however, does not reflect completely in the execution part as the plot does not move smoothly. There are scenes that are a bit confusing and break the train of thought running through a readers’ head. The first part of the book is quite detailed with situations being explored in such a way that it adds substance to the story, but the second part of the book becomes hazy as there are parallel tracks, but since they are narrated one after the another, the connection becomes a bit tricky. Another aspect of the book that could be improved is that there are certain words that did not suit the situation they are put in, hence they stand out like sore thumbs which could have been avoided with a second round of edit. The climax is well executed and puts an ending to the story that justifies it.

The characters in the book are well crafted and drive the plot forward. Kabir’s character of a person determined to achieve his goals is well sketched and it can be understood through his actions. Noosh’s character is not much detailed but her caring and steadfast nature does reflect through her actions. The character of the Professor was interesting with the multiple layers that unveil slowly.

Overall, a good book that I would recommend if you like reading spycraft and romance. The book scores a 3.88/5 for me.

Grab a copy of the book on Amazon India.