You can be good, again!. Review on Kite Runner, The - Khaled Hosseni

A boy witnessed a ghastly incident and did nothing to stop it. That incident haunts him for years and apparently their is no redemption. The proverbial light at the end of the tunnel finally appears but then the light itself turns out to be dark. But he must pursue that light and stand up against wrong - for the first time in his life. On one side he have his peaceful life, beloved's embrace and on the other a faint promise of redemption.But he will not falter this time.

The story can be of anyone of us - after all we all are sinners of not standing against the wrong because of our fear or pure selfishness. The story can also be of two countries having common territory - India and Bharat. The story can be of exploiter and exploited.

The book tells the story of two friends joined by destiny to cross each others lives in unpredictable way. One is born with the silver spoon, hell bent upon throwing the other out of his life and in turn get rid of the tormented conscience while the other, who has every reason to feel deprived and ask'WHY ME?' has already forgiven all his past and future crimes.

The book also tells the story of a shattered nation, Afghanistan though we have a feeling that the author has shown mercy on us in not telling the story from the insider's point of view. Though born and brought up in Afghanistan, Amir remains a traveller in his motherland as most of the urban elites like us in India. After all, we only witness most of our motherland through Television, newspapers and articles and go on minding our own business after damning our leaders and illeterates those oppose industrialisation.

While reading we too pray for redemption of the protagonist may be partly because we identify with him. But it does not come easily. Like an overdue loan, you have to pay interest with the passage of time while repaying our personal debts too. May be India will too pay its price if it ever seeks redemption from Bharat. Sixty one years of broken promise, cheating and exploitation - the interest cost is increasing with each passing moment. Terrorism, naxalite movements, farmers opposition to forceful land acquisition - suddenly the demand notices are being served to the defaulter. The writer did not required such notices because his conscience did not allowed him to sleep. But we continue to sleep peacefully.

Such novels may disturb your sleep for couple of days or at the most a week and then we will go back to our sleep believing that it will last the distance. But the bomb is ticking, preparing to spoil our sleep forever.

Read the book if you too are looking for redemption. Read it to give a sharp peck to your sleeping conscience. But please don't read it for pleasure because you will not find it. What you will get in the end may not be what you initially bargained for but, like the author, you will take it. A Hope that there is a punishment for all sins however heinous they may be.

And if the book calls for an action then do it immediately because the more you will delay, the more is the chance that your reasonable mind will send your conscience to sleep. Once again!