Love Story of a Commando by Swapnil Pandey- REVIEW
Love stories are often about the wonderful times spent with each other and the memories that linger long. Some stories are about the pain of loss. Rarely some stories are about the deep anguish of an uncertain relationship where the lovers don’t know each other much but get connected to each other so much so that they stop living.
Warriors like me don’t have the luxury of leading a normal life filled with bliss and everlasting peace.
Riya, the protagonist of the story, is a complex character. Several shades could be seen for the character as such. A helpless lover girl, a committed yet detached daughter, a workaholic IT professional, a fun-loving college girl, a nature-loving reclusive school teacher- the character itself is a story.
How wrong I was to think that I could dodge from the woman who had me inside her womb for nine months!
The book could not be counted as a love story. Riya’s life in Kashmir opens the door to the unparalleled yet unfathomable life in paradise on Earth. The irony of the picturesque Kashmir smeared with the blood of innocent civilians is the most heartbreaking part of the book.
The pain of losing him just like that was excruciating
The depth of the passion between Riya and Virat is not lost on the readers. The way they look at each other and how they emote is endearing to read. The author has conveyed the relationship without an iota of cheesiness. The only part that seemed exaggerated or indigestible was what happened in Taj during the attack. It mildly takes away the credibility of Virat as a Commando.
The author also gives a glimpse of the inside stories of the commandos who dealt with 26/11 before and after the attack, which left the readers wanting more. The book suddenly sucks you into the whirlpool of emotional paranoia which centrifuges out to the shocking repulsive life in Kashmir which, when without the militant attacks and uncertainty is a blissful paradise.
