Review

Love is never simple. We have come across several love stories both fictional and real-life ones. Some of them are similar some of them are unique, some are simple, and some are complicated. However it is, love stories have never failed to entice us. Shabaz Qazi has penned down a beautiful tale of relations that are complicated yet lovely, confused yet deep.


The plot takes off with the meeting between Lisa and Naina. Naina, the protagonist is shocked to know that the man she called ‘Bhai- sa’ is no more. Yet she is not willing to forgive him even posthumously and refuses to accept what Rehan has left for her in his will. While the readers are intrigued to know why a woman is unable to forgive her ‘Bhai-friend’ even after his death, the book takes us to the past. Yet another beginning from the past is shifted with ease. Thenceforth unfolds the deep yet confusing relationship between Rehan and Naina. 


The plot is a unique one and has the power of holding the readers to the book. Unlike the superficial relations that we see these days both in books and real life, Rehan’s feelings for Naina are platonic yet believable. The author has portrayed both Naina and Rehan as human beings with black, white, and grey shades so do their relationship. The style of narration is lucid. The chronological shifts are inconsistent and confusing sometimes. Nonetheless, the author’s effort in experimenting with a novel narration style is commendable. A reshuffling of the structure could have made the book an excellent one. Some of the characters like that of Yuvaraj who is Naina’s admirer needed more space to develop. Though a short one, the character has a deep impact on steering the plot like a superstar cameo. The cover image could have been better.


The story is a short one but not a shallow read. The depth of the emotions is palpable and stays with us for a long. 

Verdict

Deep, complicated, and lovely.


Scenario:   4 /5