Book Review: 'Turning Back Time' by Shravya Gunipudi

I guess the purpose of writing is to be read. In whatever genre the write-up [including novels] is, the sole purpose of writing is to be read. But when it comes to publishers, the purpose of publication becomes profit which is as genuine as it could ever be. When a businessman invests money in his products his expectation of profit is quite obvious. That is the reason the sale potential of a book decides its fate of publication. Worldwide, romance books sell more than any other genre [except fantasy fiction] and that is why they are the eye-candy of publishers.

Gargi Publishers is an exception. It is not the first time that I read a lot of books from the same publisher/author. But, the diversity I found is quite an experience. Such a gem from their publishing house “Turning Back Time” by Shravya Gunipudi is a unique kind of book. I haven’t read any such book till date. Writing such kind of book requires exceptional prowess. But publishing such type of book requires quintessential confidence and courage. Such hard-hitting books seldom appeal to people who do not wish to face reality. Investment in such book by a new age publishing house itself speaks of the caliber of the book. I congratulate the publisher for daring to change the course.

“Turning Back Time” marks the new era of books which complete both the aspects of writing – to be read and to be remembered.

About the Author

Shravya Gunipudi is a 23 years old and she has been writing since she was nine. She has won numerous prizes for her articles, short stories and poetry which include ‘Best Writer of the Year, 2013’ by yourstoryclub.com

A CA and CS by profession, Ms. Gunipudi wishes to explore her passion both in Finance and Writing. It is her dream to merge her creative side with her analytical one. Writing, she believes, is the best form of expression that calms the mind and frees the soul. Her favourite quote is ‘Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing about’.

Storyline and Plot Structure

The storyline of “Turning Back Time” is hard-hitting and close to reality. It is really wonderful that a 23 years old girl decides to write about the ignored facet of life. It is the story of Alia who struggles hard to make her ends meet. She juggles herself in two different jobs at a childcare centre and old age home in the mornings and evenings respectively. Financial trouble makes her bitter and hostile. Ms. Gunipudi beautifully implements her philosophy in Alia’s life via several incidents at her work places. In the old age home, Alia acquaints four seniors who share their life-story with her which changes her approach towards life. She learns to live life without regrets.

There is a parallel plot structure in the book. One of the sub-plots is the record of present while the other travels via reveries. These reveries come as diary, notes or normal conversation time to time. The second sub-plot is divided in four stories which belong to the four seniors respectively. So, we can say that there are four stories comprised in this book. I appreciate the way Ms. Gunipudi has configured the plot. She has overcome the biggest challenge of reality social fiction of keeping the readers engrossed in the story. The articulation inculcates the curiosity and keeps up the interest.

Narration and Dialogues

Dialogues are abundant in this book. I personally believe that dialogues keep the story alive. Psychologically, dialogues give the readers an impression of a cinematic view. The book does exactly the same.

Narration of ‘Turning Back Time’ is lucid and fluent. The sub-plots, prologue and epilogue have been written with a flowing rhythm. However, I felt that it could have been better. The writing prowess of Ms. Gunipudi doesn’t match her narration skills. She can do better. At several points in the book, the scenes shift rapidly leaving the readers in confusion. I suggest her to consider scene-breaks in the chapters. Her best is yet to come in narration.

Characterization

Ms. Gunipudi has taken real life characters. There are a lot of girls in our country like Alia who bear the responsibilities of the family and struggle to make the ends meet. The hardships of life make her bitter which is also just and true in several cases. The seniors Hema, Sita, Girish and Raman are like Banyan trees – aged with a number of branches falling around and every branch telling the story of an unseen facet of life and unraveling the chosen-to-be-ignored strata of society.

Among such characters, Mayank is like a soft breeze of fantasy flowing in this otherwise desert of reality. He is romantic, consistent and responsible. Just like a romantic hero. Well, a minute observation depicts Ms. Gunipudi’s explanation on the equation of life. As all of us know that life is a balanced equation, dearth is equated with abundance at certain points of life. Mayank and Alia denote that. The dearth of comfort in Alia’s life is equated by Mayank and Mayank finds true love in Alia.

There aren’t many characters in this book which makes the book more composed with its perspective. All other minor characters play their role significantly in their respective short frames.

Treatment of Love and Romance

In the main sub-plot, love is the prevalent theme. The love-story of Alia and Mayank proliferates with the flow of story. They discover each other’s feelings and views on social concerns. However, in the parallel sub-plot, love has been treated more brutally. The sub-plots take the readers to those times and strata of society where love is unknown and only carnal relations and lust prevail. Ms. Gunipudi has been brutally honest on this aspect. Well, it takes guts to be so honest with the emotion which sells the most in today’s scenario. I congratulate Ms. Gunipudi for that.

“Turning Back Time” is a reality fiction coming from a girl who chose to pen it down when other writers of her age decide to document their failed relationships. It is a reply to such critics who mourn over the lack of depth in new age writers. Such understanding, such articulation, such depth at such a tender age! I wonder what next is coming from her brain!

Book Review: "We will meet again" by Tarang Sinha

It has been a long… very long time since I enjoyed reading any romance. Thanks to “We will meet again” for breaking the monotony of my reading habit. I am profusely thankful to the author “Tarang Sinha” for this wonderful reading experience. As I am here to express my views on the book, I wonder whether I would be able to justify what the book deserves.

Writing a romance is never that easy. And if I include my personal shortcoming of being a disaster at writing an out and out romance, reviewing a romance book becomes equally arduous for me. But, all thanks to ‘We will meet again’, I am here to shatter this belief of mine.

About the Author:

Tarang Sinha is a writer, avid reader and an active Blogger. Her works have been published in magazines like Good Housekeeping India, Child India, Woman’s Era and Alive, and a bestselling anthology “Uff Ye Emotions 2”. A Science Graduate, she holds a Diploma in Creative Writing in English from IGNOU. Originally from Bihar, she lives in New Delhi with her family.

Though it seems hard to believe given her writing prowess, ‘We will meet again’, is her first novel.

Storyline and Plot Structure:

‘We will meet again’ has a very clear storyline and intriguing plot-structure. It is a mature love-story of two mature people Paridhi and Abhigyan. They meet, they fight, they fall in love and then, they face the consequences. In this journey, they introspect and re-discover their real selves.

I always believe that romance fiction comes in strict story frames and despite all of the respective writer’s effort all romance storylines share many things common. The writer’s real talent is showcased in the plot-structure to make it different.

Tarang Sinha is undoubtedly a wonderful writer. In the common story frame of romance, she has woven a riveting plot decorated with wonderful events and scenes. The plot is full of thrills and its eventful structure instills curiosity in the readers. There are lots of twists and turns which make it more interesting. I believe that romance-fictions come with predictable climax. But as they say, it is not the destination but the journey which makes it beautiful. ‘We will meet again’ is one such story. All thanks to the wonderful plot.

Tarang has included a detailed Hindu Marriage Ceremony incident as a sub-plot. It came as a surprise to me. I have a read a number of coming of age romances where the characters not only loathe the Hindu Marriage Ceremonies but also disgust the elderly women [referred as Aunties) who are always enthusiastic to find their prospective life-partners. I never understood the logic behind this sophisticated show-off. Of course, we have some ridiculous customs but tradition has its own beauty unless you are mature enough to understand and enjoy it. And getting married or not is entirely a personal choice. There are ways to avoid nosy relatives but there is no humour in insulting someone who is just pro-active regarding your marriage. Tarang really deserves appreciation for breaking this stereotype and ‘wrting’ out of the box. The sub-plot contains beautiful descriptions of the customs and how they bring the family together. It adds beauty to the novel.

Narration and Dialogues:

Tarang has used first person present tense narration. It is not very common among Indian popular fiction. This type of narration at times proves to be hard to connect with readers. But Tarang has managed it beautifully. It gives the feeling of living the story with the book. Narration is very gripping and fluent. The reveries and general descriptions have been written beautifully and they do not seem boring.

Dialogues are connecting and just. The casual conversations do not seem imposed. Tarang has not used Hindi words frequently. The conversation of the protagonists attracts and the exchange of dialogues between them comes as natural. Not at a single scene, I felt it improvised.

Characterization:

“We will meet again”, has a number of feel good things. But ‘characterization’ is certainly icing on the cake. Let’s get onto it in detail:

PARIDHI – Paridhi is the female protagonist of the novel. She is beautiful, mature, intelligent, self-esteemed and lovable. She represents a middle class Indian girl in true sense. [Chetan Bhagat, you listening?]. She is stubborn yet sweet. And she is confident and egoist. Few of her traits are –

Time Management and studious nature – Paridhi is meticulous in studies and knows the value of time. In the beginning of the book, she is working on her assignment which she succeeds in completing way before the given time.

Presence of mind – Paridhi has amazing presence of mind. She never loses her wits. Even the most critical of the situations manages only to falter her for a moment. She takes hold of everything quite efficiently.

Loving sister and daughter – Paridhi is a loving sister and a doting daughter. She is elder to her sister and her affection is at times filial towards her. She takes good care of her father after her mother’s demise.

Paridhi is certainly a remarkable character created by Tarang.

ABHIGYAN – Abhigyan is the male protagonist of “We will meet again”. He is, in every term, a heart-stealer. Charming, dynamic, dashing, commanding and yes, wealthy, what more could you ask for. Tarang has portrayed him right out of the fantasy of a girl. Abhigyan has almost everything a girl would want in her life-partner and that includes his anger also. It would be injustice if the shades of his personality aren’t discussed –

Commanding Nature – Abhigyan doesn’t take ‘no’ as an answer. There are several instances in the book where his commanding nature rules and he gets everything done as per his will.

Taking control of the situation – A medical emergency and a mischief in wedding are two of such situations where Abhigyan comes forward to straight everything out and control the situation. He manages everything and everyone efficiently and doesn’t let anything slip out of his hand.

Self-dependent, self-confident and a dedicated Businessman – Some hardships of his life make Abhigyan self-dependent which he develops as efficiency rather than engulfing himself in depression. He is very confident and takes every decision of life himself. He doesn’t rely on anybody. He manages his business and personal life very well.

Loving husband – Abhigyan is a loving husband, more importantly he is a husband who is very patient towards his wife’s coldness. He takes good care of her in spite of her ignorance. It is quite surprising that a man who has so much ego manages to handle his wife’s taunts. One can only imagine the abundance of love required to do that!

Evidently, Abhigyan and Paridhi remind of Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth. I have added Tarang on my favorite authors’ list and I am so glad that I wouldn’t be missing Jane Austen that much.

Other characters like Yashodhara Bua, Mini, Reet etc. are justified in their frame. I would like to specifically mention Pammy Aunty. Congrats to Tarang for recreating a nosy neighbor and giving her such a lovely and adorable appearance. Of course, you can create humour without insult. Ask Tarang for it!

Treatment of Love and Romance:

“We will meet again” is all about love and romance. Tarang creates new horizons of relationships and recreates that magical aura. It is journey through a woman’s heart how she discovers love and accepts her feelings. Normally all love stories end with marriage. But the best thing about this book is a phase of relationship and a new shade of love starts with marriage. However, I was bit disappointed about the book being one sided in love. We do not get to know the feelings of Abhigyan and his approach towards love. That is impossible in a first person book. That is why I believe that it would have been more beautiful had the story been written in third person.

“WE WILL MEET AGAIN” is a wonderful read. It is refreshing and amazing, a must read for everyone who loves to have a romance section in their bookshelf.

That sweet THANKS...!

Supriya was nervously looking at the clock behind the speaker’s head. It was already 9:00pm, still, she didn’t know how much more time it would take her to reach home. She was stuck in this office presentation, and there seemed no scope for an early excuse.

Finally, after almost half an hour, the meeting ended on a successful note. Supriya found herself too exhausted to drive all the way home. Somehow, she dragged herself to the parking and stretched on the driving seat. Another hour's journey to home! She didn’t know why she felt like crying. What a life she was living? Waking up every morning to worry about breakfast and lunch, juggling between her husband’s and her child’s daily needs, rushing to office, working like a maniac and coming back all the way worrying about the dinner and again the next day’s circus… Although she had house-help for all domestic chores, it was the lady who was running the house. And only a working woman could understand that no house-help could substitute the role of running one’s own house. It was Supriya’s personal decision to be a working wife and Mom. She knew that her husband took pride in her decision. Having a regular routine kept her fit and her managerial skills were tested from time to time. She knew that her husband tried to do his very best to comfort her and help her in everything. But that was always very little.

There used to be some days like that, when she hated her life.

It was almost 11:00pm when Supriya reached home. Her husband was home and watching TV. She felt like shouting on him but somehow contained herself and went straight to the bathroom. A warm shower lightened her mood to some extent and when she came out, she found her husband holding her favorite pajama set for her. But, she didn’t say anything.

Her husband, who was perhaps expecting some appreciation from her, went on to say, “Today, I have tried to do something in the kitchen. Hope, you might like it.”

Supriya didn’t reply and went to her baby boy’s room. The child was fast asleep.

“I fed him choco flakes. I didn’t know he liked them so much.” Her husband had sensed her bad mood and he was following her all across the house.

Still, there wasn’t any response from Supriya. She went straight to the kitchen. Traces of turmeric powder which were cleaned hastily were quite visible on the otherwise white kitchen tiles. Many jars had been replaced and that had led to the improper closing of the kitchen box and drawers. Oil was sprinkled on the oven. In nutshell, whole kitchen was a mess. Supriya took few seconds before she opened the lid of kitchen bowl and found freshly made chicken noodles. She picked up the bowl and placed it on the dining table. Her husband followed her with two plates.

Supriya served without a single word.

“I read the recipe somewhere. Hope it is good.” Her husband said.

Supriya didn’t say a word. Salt was too much for her taste but she remained silent.

By the time, the dinner was finished, her husband was done. Supriya could clearly see the sadness on his face. Her husband cleaned the dining table and went straight to bed.

Supriya was left all alone introspecting herself. Her bad day was not her husband’s fault. He could have easily remained oblivious to everything with an I-have-nothing-to-do-with-all-this attitude. Instead, he did his best to cheer her up. And she awarded him with a cold response.

Supriya went into the bedroom and found her husband lying with closed eyes, perhaps trying to sleep. She cuddled onto his back and said softly, “Thank you, Rajeev!”

“For what?” Rajeev asked coldly.

“For loving me so much!” Supriya nuzzled onto him lovingly.

A few moments later, Rajeev turned back and kissed her.

[Picture Courtesy: Google]

At times, we are so busy complaining about the negativities of our lives that we forget to be thankful for the beautiful positivities.

Give me one example of failed love and I will give you 10 examples of successful relationships

I have come across many people who do not think twice before generalizing everything. Just because you are too immature to handle relations, just because you are too naive to take decisions, just because you don't understand your responsibilities, just because nobody ever taught you to value your relations, you do not get a right to spread negativity of your childishness and immaturity by stating that "Love doesn't proliferate and Successful relations do not exist."

Here I am sharing two real life stories which I personally adore.

Life is indeed a fairy-tale. All you need is guts and commitment!

KAJOL AND AJAY

'Ajay and Kajol would not last!' This was media’s verdict when the two hogged the limelight for pairing up in real life. The critics labelled them as an ‘unlikely pair’ due to their contrasting personalities.

While, Ajay was known to be shy and an introvert, Kajol was a live wire, who would burst into vivacious laughter at the drop of a hat. Few believed that the relationship would not last long, let alone culminate into marriage. But, defying the media speculations, the couple got married after a four-year long courtship and is still going strong. 

Tying the nuptial knot

Kajol, who was always found reading a Mills & Boon novel, had finally fallen head over heels in love with her Mr. Right. Ajay explained their relationship by saying, "We never resorted to the usual 'I Love you' routine. A proposal never happened. We grew with each other. Marriage was never discussed, but it was always imminent."  This ‘unlikely pair’ tied the knot on February 24, 1999 in a true Maharashtrian style.

Ajay, often regarded as ‘camera shy’, wanted the marriage to be a private affair. He did not even hire professional photographers for the wedding, insisting that he would be the only one with the camera. Therefore, the photographs were totally up, close and personal.The newlyweds left for a two-month long honeymoon to Europe soon after their wedding.

Brushing off the controversies

No matter how smooth their courtship was, their marriage saw a lot of ups and downs. Post the marriage, there were rumours that Kajol did not get along with her in-laws well. But, she came out strongly against the allegation. Also, the couple had to face several media attacks. One of the popular magazines had published Ajay's alleged affair with a much younger actress. Kajol reacted to this saying, “I don't believe in those rumours because I know the way this industry functions. You cannot continue a marriage without the basic trust. Frankly, I don't care for such talk."

Testing times

It was in 2001, when Kajol was pregnant with her first child. Devgn family was all set to welcome their bundle of joy, but Kajol suffered a miscarriage in the sixth month of her pregnancy.

Maintaining great dignity in his sorrow, Ajay informed the media, “Both of us were thrilled when we learnt of the pregnancy. If not today, tomorrow we will look forward to starting a family. Kajol will be back on her feet before you know it. We're happy together and that's all that matters.”

The joy of parenthood

Two years after the miscarriage, the couple got a second chance to experience parenthood. It was on April 20, 2003 that Kajol gave birth to their gorgeous daughter Nysa. Yug, their son came seven years later. Since then, Kajol took motherhood as her first priority. She has also been turning down several offers from the industry till date, just to stay at home with her kids. While for Ajay, Nysa is her weakness; he hates it if he has a day off and she is not around.

Opposites truly attract!

Kajol, in an interview, once said, “I’m really nasty, critical and cutting. Ajay is a much better person than me. It’s not easy being the sensible one all the time, but he’s such a gentleman.”  No wonder this couple has braved all the controversies and testing times, and has managed to come out strong. Ajay sums it up the best. He says, “In our differences we complete and complement each other.”

[courtesy - google.com]

An Eternal Love Story- Riteish and Genelia Deshmukh

They fight, they play
and that’s the way, 
they are meant to stay!
Some Love Stories are Meant to be Forever…
Year 2002, it was a day just like any other day but who knew two hearts are going to be one and forever after this day. A 16 year old girl, full of inhibitions came at the Hyderabad airport with her mom to meet a young boy from an influential family of Maharashtra.
The girl was Genelia D’Souza and this young man was none other than Riteish Deshmukh. 
Surprising Twist- Destiny has Different Plans
Initially, Genelia thought that being a chief minister’s son, Riteish will be a spoilt brat and full of tantrums.  So, she decided to give him attitude before he did! Oblivious to her thoughts, Riteish arrived on the terminal and saw this tall girl, who shook hands with him and started looking in a different direction. This cold reaction left him wondering, as why she was behaving so awkward? 
This was their first meeting for the test shoot of their debut film- Tujhe Meri Kasam.  
On the Sets...
To Genelia’s surprise, opposite to her thoughts, Riteish came out to be extremely humble and polite with everybody on the sets. During the shoots, Riteish was immensely respectful towards Genelia’s parents. The actress found it endearing that despite being the Chief Minster’s son (Late-Shri Vilasrao Deshmukh) Riteish was completely down-to-earth.

Best Friends Forever- They Complete Each Other
The story moved forward from here, the two youngsters made things easy for each other on the sets.
Not much people know Riteish is also a professional architect, and architecture is what he used to discuss with Genelia on the sets. 
And young Genelia used to share updates about her college and exams with him.
I Love You- Never Happened 'Officially'

Soon, they became best friends off the sets.
The fondness grew but no formal proposals were made from any side.  
After the Hyderabad shoot, Riteish came back to Mumbai. By now, he had started missing Genelia’s company. She also could not keep herself untouched by his charm. The aura of Riteish was slowly taking over her. Love was never a sudden thing for them, It was a slow process, where they first got to know each other and before they could realize it, they were in love!

Journey from Friends to Best Friends to Life Partners
A 16 year old girl and a 24 year old boy, met back in the year 2002. They gradually fell in love and after a 9 year long relationship, finally tied the knot on February 3, 2012. This youngest couple of Bollywood literally grew up together.
The beauty of this relationship is that they were so used to each other as friends that till now also they don't know when love 'officially' happened and who proposed whom?

A Decade of Love but the Discovery is still ON!
In the times, where break-ups and link-ups are like the trends around, this is one inspiring couple that has stood by each other for more than a decade now. Riteish- Genelia, have always been in love since their first film, but being from a non-filmy background, never disclosed it in the media. The strong bond of commitment between them has made them the first couple of Bollywood to never have a single share of controversy or link-ups with any other co-star till date.

Secrets to a Happy Married Life:

A relationship based on understanding and friendship without insecurities, makes this beautiful couple shine out from rest of the celeb crowd.

Those Unsaid Promises:

Riteish: Genelia gives him unconditional support and love. Her love is the most amazing thing for him. He is deeply and madly in love with his wife.

Genelia: Riteish is a secure husband and even the decision to work in movies after marriage is totally her choice. Her husband is always by her side to support her in her decisions. For her, guys like Riteish are rare in today's world.

Most Beautiful Part about This Couple
There were no formal proposals, no candle light dinners to woo each other.  For Riteish and Genelia being happy with the person one loves has always been the most important thing. With parent’s blessings always by their side, this couple never gave a second thought to marriage. The most romantic aspect of this celeb-jodi is that they started off being friends and even after their marriage are still the best of friends.

A journey from being 'sweet' young lovers to a beautiful 'mature' married couple- Wishing this cutest couple's love to blossom and be as pure as it is now- Forever!

[courtesy- google.com]

Love is a genuine feeling which happens only to those people who are mature enough to care for it and dare for it.



 http://voice-of-my-soul.blogspot.in/2013/01/loving-my-way-this-is-what-love-means.html