A Potpourri of Vestiges Book Review
By Murtaza Ali Khan
The
13th century Persian poet and Sufi mystic Rumi famously said, “What
you seek is seeking you.” In other words, the things you desire are seeking you
in the same way you are seeking them. Zahir Chauhan’s latest novel ‘The Girl I
Met That Night’ perfectly captures the essence of Rumi’s saying. The story’s
protagonist Kabir Shergill shifts from Manali to Mumbai to make a mark for
himself and soon with his talent, hard work and some luck, he climbs the ladder
of success as he starts working with one of the top advertising agencies of
India. Leading a lavish lifestyle in Mumbai while living in a stylish house in
the posh suburbs of Mumbai and driving a BMW, Kabir now has everything he ever
dreamt of. But his life changes forever when one fateful night he meets a beautiful
girl named Anamika.
Right from the onset, Kabir
is drawn to the mysterious Anamika as if he were always destined to meet her.
Stuck in the middle of a highway while returning from Darjeeling, the two
decide to narrate each other a story of their own lives in order to kill the
time. But Anamika puts one condition. She agrees to tell her story to Kabir on
the condition that once the night is over Kabir would neither ask anything
further nor will ever try to find her. That their story would end right there
once the night is over. Kabir agrees to her condition and Anamika keeps her
promise and narrates her rather disturbing tale. And, as soon as the night is
over, Anamika leaves as per the agreement.
But Kabir cannot get over
Anamika’s story and decides to break his promise. He tries to look for her but
months pass by and he doesn’t get a single clue about her. Ultimately their
paths cross again and to his surprise Anamika also recognizes him. They spend a
day together in Mumbai as Anamika further talks about the dark story she had
narrated that night at the highway and how her life has been over the years. Knowing
her now, Kabir gets really attached to Anamika but before he could do anything
to express feelings for her, the next morning she disappears again. Who is
Anamika? What’s her truth? Where has she disappeared? What is so mysterious
about this girl that is forcing Kabir to look for her everywhere?
‘The Girl I Met That Night’ takes
us on a whirlwind adventure from Mumbai to Darjeeling to Bangkok to Manali to Ladakh
as Kabir relentlessly keeps searching for Anamika. Zahir has crafted a tale of
love bordering on obsession that anyone who has ever fallen in love would be
relate to at one level or the other. Every time Kabir and Anamika meet in the
novel, Zahir’s penmanship appears to be at its best. Their second encounter in
Mumbai during which Kabir takes Anamika to Siddhivinayak Ganapati Mandir is
easily the highlight of the novel. Also, the beautiful love story of Bakhtawar
and Maithili whom Anamika come across in Thailand deserve a special mention. Not
to mention the haunting dream sequence in the beautiful hills of Manali. Love
stories are full of clichés and ‘The Girl I Met That Night’ is no exception but
the constant twists and turns make it a page turner from start to finish.
Order your copy of 'The Girl I Met That Night' right now:
A version of this book review was first published in The Daily Guardian.
Readers, please feel free to share your opinion by leaving your comments. As always your valuable thoughts are highly appreciated
People who liked this also liked...
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for sharing for valuable opinion. We would be delighted to have you back.