Deep Ties

When a blogger turned editor decides to write a book, it is likely that it will be one free of glitches and gaffes. 'Aspen Leaves' by the talented Dhivya Balaji is one such book. The title makes one think of delicate leaves that tremble in the sunlight, akin to the stories in the book that dance their way into the hearts of the readers, quick and fleeting, only to stay there forever. There are ten stories in the book divided into three sections – Drama, Supernatural and Revenge Drama. What makes these stories unique is the association of each with a colour that gives each story its meaning and its emotion, colours that are as rare as they are beautiful. The emotions are universal. Is it better to hide a life of passion rather than live a life of austerity? Are there truths that are realised too late in life? Is it possible for perfection to lose its sheen and turn mundane in a relationship? How significant a role does religion play in wedlock and can a woman ever...

What makes this story – Unloved in Love – different from any other similar romantic saga, when the title itself is an oxymoron. What does author Rituparna Ghosh say that distinguishes this book from others? Maybe, it is in the way she says it. Ms. Ghosh reveals a wry sense of humour from page one, when she introduces the way her heroine, Kiara, was born to parents who were taken aback when she arrived. From that point on, Kiara continues to be self-deprecating, “cruising rock bottom in expectations” till she shocks everyone by doing well as a career woman. Three main voices tell the tale, followed by a fourth voice at the end. The three voices belong to Kiara Sen, Kyle Wolf (an interesting German background there) and Karan Shergill, three attractive young people, as they take the action ahead in a series of see-sawing events that keep the reader wondering what the outcome will be. Kiara sees herself in a mirror that is diametrically opposite to how others view her, ma...

The artistic green cover leaps out at you, even as you take in the succinct title – 'It Happens'. Bhaswar Mukherjee has proved to be a miracle worker, as fourteen of the fifteen stories in this book by Readomania were entries for the TOI Write India contest. In fact, his writing has been noticed and lauded by greats such as Amitav Ghosh and Ashwin Sanghi. Delving into the stories, you realise that they are little vignettes of life, showcasing various places by linking them to scenarios that nestle in the minds of all Indians – the Babri Masjid imbroglio, bomb explosions in urban Kabul, “a maelstrom of conflict”, the Indo-Pak border conflicts and militancy, the devastating hurricane Vardah that hit Chennai, the brutality of the Khap Panchayats and the like. Each of these stories holds up a mirror to society, where the author puts in a pertinent comment, almost like an aside in a Shakespearean play. For example, “In the current state of politics, the communal c...