Author: Sapan Saxena
Publisher: Inspire India
Book Blurb:
“Of course you know about the seven stages of love, but have you ever lived them?” Atharva Rathod and Meher Qasim. Lovebirds since adolescence. Bonded by love, separated by circumstances. They part ways only to meet again. But this time, he is on a secret mission… Are they in control of their own destiny, or its their destiny which is making them dance to its tunes? Only time would answer, as Atharva and Meher unwillingly and unknowingly transcend the seven stages of love. A quintessential tale of love and romance marked beautifully by its own rustic old school charm.
My Review:
The story starts in the quintessential boy-meets-girl type. Meher and Atharva are in the same school. They are in their final year and are looking forward to the couples being formed. On a friend’s recommendation, Atharva has Mehar in his mind but their initial meeting leads to a lot of fireworks.
The main characters, Atharva and Meher, are crafted really well. Both have interesting, well-rounded personalities. Since the duration of the story spans over a number of years, the characters have aged really well. Initially, you see immaturity in both of them, but by the end, both have grown into themselves and know what they want. The author has handled this change wonderfully.
Initially, the book felt a little flat, as the situations and the dialogues felt a wee bit familiar to the other books in the genre, the story really takes off after the first act. It takes turns and twists that were not expected. Just when you know you have a grasp on the story, the author throws a curve ball.
The pace of the story is quite good. Even when the author takes time leaps, the transition is quite seamless and at no point does the reader get confused. Although, I found quite a few grammatical errors in the book and places where sentences are left abruptly.
Overall, this is quite a good read. I rate this book 3 out of 4.
There and Their 