An anthology with plethora of emotions at every page and every story.
It’s a complete coffee table book and one can finish the book at a go sitting comfortably on a sunny day!
With this collection of 10 tales the Author tries to bring some unseen and untold emotions to light.
I would prefer taking you through each story and the expressions it unfolds.
The Taxi Driver: It is a story about Pooja and her ferry back home from the Mumbai Airport. It unfolds a spirit of a single girl in the busy town of Mumbai and the constant battle against the fear of the unseen and the uncertainty the city beholds. It’s very easy to be judgmental and pronounce your opinion, but every face that looks scary may not always have an evil soul behind.
A Rain Kissed Tuesday: It is a beautifully written love story which revolves around an inter faith love between Aditya and Arisha. It’s a story of a very pure and untainted relationship which remains incomplete because of the barrier of faith. This story will definitely remind the readers about their first kiss, their first unfinished passion in love. The love that only taught you to grow emotionally.
K.N Laxman: This was one of my favorite tale. Every time I look back in time is feel a void in my life. There always seems something amiss. This story about Laxman and his untold and unsaid loyalty towards Rohan. Although Rohan will no longer be Laxman’s superviser, Laxman still held him high in heart. This story is about the faith Rohan bestows upon Laxman and his urge to deliver the best not for duty but for respect that Laxman had for Rohan. Certain emotions remain unsaid while the silence echoes aloud
Glad That We Met : it’s a very lovey dovey story that unfolds the jitters of the pre marriage phase. While Rajveer and Priya meet for the first time as prospects for marriage, they have their mental notes prepared. This story is about how Rjveer and Priya fell in love with each other in their quest for an arranged marriage. The tale is about the silence of love felt in the tension of an arranged marriage. It is a very beautifully portrayed simple story that gives you a tingle of romance.
Switch It On: Yet another like of mine! This story very simply put is about how selfless small deeds and gestures that we ignore in life within the bigger selfish world can restore our faith in humanity. All we have to do is take a look around and note the tiny hints of life… the worth of smile goes thousand folds if you care to smile back.
The Mistake: It’s a tale of two friends and their unintentional mistakes that only dents their friendship, but once the role switch the friendship not only restores the dent but strengthens way more. It tells us about a very simple truth of life… certain things come back to you as a realization only when you step into the shoe of another. A reaction is always resultant to an action and therefore introspection is the key to maintain relationships.
Two States: it is a story about friends belonging to different cities of India, while Pulkit lives in Mumbai Mukesh hails from Jaipur. Mukesh had to visit the city of dreams on account of his new job. This tale is about how contrasting the two cities are in culture, crowed, whether and hustle. It is about how one seasons himself to a complete new and distinct lifestyle just to make a living.
The Shy Boy: At times one doesn’t have to try… love finds its own course; just like Tanya found her hero in a timid, shy and innocent Ravi. The cupid struck just when Ravi was trying hard to gather some courage to talk to the girl he always thought was the only one for her.
The Train: you may not like a person at once, just like Patricia who had a very wrong first impression on Peter. But as their train journey begins…their story unfolds. One can never know what life beholds; behind every face is a soul. Both realized though their journey started differently their destination will be the same!
The Mystery Girl: There are secrets and then there are lies. At times hiding the truth is healthier than lying. This story is about Riya, a bold and modern girl of the century and her visit to Mumbai. Riya was new in the city and was offered a temporary accommodation by an old time friend at his flat amongst few boys. Riya had no choice but to accept it. With what happened with Riya, the questions there were raised on her integrity did not crush her but only made her stronger. It is very simple to remark and assassin someone’s character, that’s the least of efforts one can put in judging a person. But what one ignores is that such remarks can crush someone’s belief and self-esteem.
This book covered a rainbow of emotions like love, misunderstanding, revenge, fear and romance. Each story has a massage to decode and every code is a mantra to a better life.
There are some grammatical errors that completely puts me off. The author has to good content and thoughts to offer but there is a need for improving the choice of words. The Author needs to concentrate more on the detailing of the tales as there are certain conflicts of statements which cannot be ignored.
The book is a decent read for teens.
All in all the books was an average read. And as they say; there is always some room for improvement.
I would rate this book a 2 pointer on a scale of 5.
Shop for the book at : http://www.amazon.in/Decoding-Life-Vikas-Singal/dp/9384382043/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424340079&sr=1-1&keywords=VIKAS+SINGAL
The Notepad Reviews 