Soumi Sen

"𝕎𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖 ℂ𝕒𝕞𝕖 ℂ𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘" by Preeti Shenoy is a love story between Puja and Arush. Puja is an Indian, and Arush, an Indian, brought up in the UK. They both met in the course of doing volunteer service and fall in love eventually. Falling in love is easy, but what about staying in love? The story is slow in the beginning and caught my eye in the last few chapters. At first, it appears to be a cute, desperate teenage love story, but slowly is starts unfolding the real message of the author. Most people can connect with the character of Puja. A rebellious, energetic teenager who can't figure out what to do in life. An accurate picture of Indian parents and parenting is also displayed. Along with parents, there is also a specific description of the adolescent lifestyle. The way we spend all day in scrolling the news feed, liking others' mesmerizing pictures, and comparing it with our not-so-charming living. There is also evidence of yellow journalism and politics scattered throughout. Though I like the note the author wants to give, but I would appreciate an alternate way to get that. If you love to read romances, then undoubtedly you'll like it. Any teenager will find it relatable. But this is more than some typical romance novel, and everyone will like it even if they don't like reading romance.

The first thought that pops into our mind after hearing the word "Pokhran" is the "Smiling Buddha" nuclear test of 1974, which is considered to be one of the most successful nuclear tests ever conducted. But can a nuclear test be a complete success? The book mainly revolves around the life of Chaitanya, starting from his birth. As a result of the nuclear fallout, his mother died during childbirth, and he was born without limbs. Despite his physical disabilities, Chaitanya learned to do things on his own, and developed complex scientific models. During his days at MIT, he met the love of his life, Zara. Chaitanya's world turned upside down after he loses Zara for riots. Without covering the nuclear test throughout the book, the author uses only the first few pages to tell the breathtaking story behind the success of the test. By describing the life of Chaitanya, the book focuses on the fact that physical disabilities are not a barrier. The smooth transitions of the events and the development of the characters are commendable. I admire the character of Chaitanya very much. Despite all the injustices that occurred to him, he always stayed positive and thought of others' well being first. The way he focuses on the root cause of the problem rather than the immediate one changed the way we observe the events. The picture of the society, the writer paints in the last few pages have caught my eye. I like the insightful observations made by the author. The precise description of communal disturbances, political influence, social differences shows his social awareness. The novel is undoubtedly an exceptional journey of revenge, love, and the unbeatable human spirit. I recommend it to everyone.