Author: Vinita Bakshi
Publications: Rupa Publications
Price: Rs 295/-
ISBN: 978-81-291-4229-0

“The beginning and the end are two sides of the same coin. In a circle, there is no beginning and no end.”

This is a quote that is on the back cover of the book. The quote and the cover were the main reason I chose to read and review the book.

So, I was having long spells of Reader’s block. I was reading 5 books at a time and my mind wasn’t into it. So with 20 half and quarter read books this book came in. And finally, I finished one book in a single sitting after what feels like ages!

Here is a little about the Author:

Vinita Bakshi is an award-winning sociologist and social entrepreneur. She is an alumnus of Delhi School Of Business.
She is the founder of an NGO called AAMBRA Foundation, with a vision towards women empowerment and skill development. She is the chief architect and brain behind a triennial seminar series called She Speaks which deals with issues faced by the contemporary South Asian women.

Synopsis:

The story is about Mansa, who has a perfect family life. The writer gives you every reasoning of why it is perfect. Personally, I don’t believe any family is perfect. It so happens that Mansa, after moving to a big city and looking at her classmates who have a successful career, gets evaluating her life and is now under mid-life crisis. The mid-life crisis has been elaborated perfectly. The struggles Mansa has within of having everything and yet nothing.

She joins a cooking class and makes a lot of good friends. The cooking class giving her a break to the mid-life crisis she was in and she realizes her true calling. Fast forward a few days and now she owns a business and running it successfully. She makes an online acquaintance with a handsome man named Rajan Chopra. Slow and steady she falls for him and is in a dilemma about her online and real life relationship.

For I want to keep this review spoiler free. You will have to read the book to know what happens with Mansa, her online relationship and the fate of the relationships that she is a part of.

My Say:

I finished the book in a single sitting and loved the plot. The author brilliantly highlights what goes on in a woman’s mind during a mid-life crisis. Although I felt this part could have been elaborated a little more, given she writes well. Also in the recent past everyone has a virtual life that is quite different from the actual lives we live. The book deals with how we get attracted to an unknown face just by words and flattery.

I liked that the author elaborated and wrote about online friendship and how it can hamper real life relationships. She focuses on karma, a myriad of emotions and relationships.

What I did not like much about the book is like many Indian authors, few things are so abrupt and dramatic. A few parts could have been elaborated and that would have made it a perfect read.

Rating :

I would rate it a 4/5