Oct 22, 2010 08:49 PM
5722 Views
I have no qualms in admitting that this is my first review and I have been inspired by the book and my friend to write on MOUTHSHUT.
When my friend had passed on this book to me, I too like some of the skeptics on this board didn't give a second look, leave alone starting to read it. I have never heard of the author and though the tagline, 'the story of an Airhostess and an IITian' was interesting, I fancied it was one of those my idol Chetan Bhagat(sigh, he is my namesake, and while I am nobody he is a celebrity) inspired novels with a loose boy-meets-girl then separates and reunites type of story. Only the girl would be an Airhostess whom an IIT guy must have met on the plane.
I had quite discarded it as wastage of time, but was prodded by my friend to read it. As I started reading it, I could only leave it after I had finished it. It is a far different story than what I had envisaged. Totally refreshing and engrossing from the first page to the last.
Though I am a Chetan Bhagat fan, I felt if his'One Night at the Call Centre' could sell over ten lakh copies, this book, 'Jab se you have loved me.' ought to sell at least a crore copies. I don't know why the author or the publishers are making no effort to market such a wonderful story. I have read many other novels from the same publisher namely Srishti, but this one simply is outstanding.
The story is entirely new and not quite a run-of-the-mill one. It is about struggling young men and women. Every character whether it is the main protagonist Atin, his close friends Luv, Russel or Iqbal, Atin's love Ujani, Luv's father who dies in an accident, the funny bespectacled girl Rumia all are just like our friends, relatives and neighbours.
I must admit that I have not read such a complete entertaining story ever - there are narration about campus happenings, beautiful descriptions of IIT, Madras and about Calcutta and Mumbai. The story about friendship, about LOVE, adventure, action, emotion simply weaves a net of good feeling around you.
A big plus of this book is humour in almost every page. I couldn't help bursting into a laughter reading the main protagonist Atin's spirited lecture that floored the American company owner on the advantages of water over toilet paper and how he and Russel changed America.
The last part of the story is a reminiscence of one of my all time favourites, 'The Inscrutible Americans'. I also loved the chapter interspacing with headings like, 'Pyar to hona hi tha', 'Badi sooni sooni hain zindagi' and all. Certainly a new concept and got to catch on with the young generation.
The story is however, not without its flaws - editing should have been better and the Airhostess girlfriend getting lost in an island part is a speedbreaker in the entire story.
I would request everyone to read this book. It isn't costly - just Rs. 100/- and so everyone can afford it. It will not be a wastage of money, I can gurantee that. And through this site, I convey my best wishes to Mr. S.R.Saha, the author and look forward to more from him.
