I Too Had A Love Story - a book review

This one is a true love story – but with a sad ending as not all love stories have a ‘and they lived happily ever after’ ending. Some also conclude tragically. LOVE stories attract readers, and when they portend to be based on real-life incidents and the narrator is one of the protagonists, much more so. It is simple, poignant, honest and even touching.

The past tense in the title is intriguing, as is the dedication: "To the loving memory of the girl whom I loved, yet could not marry." That basically is the USP of I Too Had A Love Story by Ravinder Singh – whose publishers Srishti, tag it as, ‘a heartbreaking true love tale.’ And it does 

live up to its name.

Ravinder Singh, or the abbreviated Ravin, is a techie and a cosmopolitan Indian. He is a Punjabi, born in West Bengal, brought up in a small town of Orissa, who studied for his BE in Computer Science from Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College in Karnataka and now works as a software engineer with Infosys Technologies, Chandigarh.

When Ravin’s college friends meet for a reunion in Kolkata, they naturally discuss how well they have travelled the road to success and what lies ahead. By consensus, arrived after much bonhomie and consumption of considerable quantities of alcohol, the friends decide that the next step would be to look for their life partners.

Based on real-life incidents, the novel tells the story of an inexplicable bond of love between Ravin and Khushi who found each other on Shaadi.com, where their relationship becomes the most precious gift of Almighty. And eventually, they fall in love and initiate the dream of sharing a life together. But, just 5 days before the engagement, the cruel fate intervenes, and their dreams come crashing down with an unfortunate accident.

Ravin, who learned how to perform kirtan and play the tabla early in his life, had no idea that his tabla-playing ability would be a crucial link in finding him Khushi, his ladylove. A series of coincidences like their being born in the same town, and on the same day, provides the initial impetus to the budding relationship, and long phone chats follow.

In spite of huge physical distances (he is in Bhubneshwar and she in Faridabad), they come together, courtesy the communication system that enables long-distance telephony. Of course, IMs, SMSes and the like too play their role, since both Ravin and Khushi are perpetually on the Net. They exchange information, share intimacies, decide that they love each other and declare their intentions be to together forever, even though they haven’t met as yet.

When you see the exuberance of their relationship, the emotional ups and downs—mostly ups, the casual ease with which those who are destined to be together, come together and how various missteps are taken lightly and become stepping stones towards building their friendship—their declaration doesn’t sound far-fetched. At Khushi’s insistence, Ravin gathers up courage to tell his parents about the girl in his life and he is pleasantly surprised at their reaction.

Ravin’s trip to the US on business further cements the long-distance relationship, since it is because of it he meets Khushi for the first time and visits her parent’s house in Faridabad.

Full credit goes to the writer, Ravinder Singh, who keeps the story focused. Everything is real in the book. Ravinder and Khushi have never seen each other, but love has made them one. The writer has successfully brought out the depth of their relationship through the lively and graphic delineation of their conversation, feelings and emotions. The readers can feel their warmth and closeness in the lively and picturesque account of how they longed to be with each other in the rain, the coaxing and cajoling after the tiffs and trying to feel each other in imagination.

Reading this book is all the more enjoyable as the reader relates and identifies with the writer. Impatiently waiting for the next phone call, little surprises bringing them closer, late night conversations, tears and smiles, all these make it a read-till-finish book.

The throbbing curiosity, the irrepressible apprehensions and the overpowering excitement and happiness to meet Khushi in person for the first time takes the story to a crescendo of feelings, emotion and action. Soft and light hearted humor strewn throughout adds an entertainment quotient to the story. The writer tickles a funny bone as he talks about his paranoia when revealing his affair to his parents.

The people, places and especially how they interact with one another. For instance, there is a part in the book, when the narrator recalls an incident when he had to choose between a game of snooker with friends or spend a date with his love, Khushi.

He decides to hang out with his friends instead and follows a turn of unhappy events. Khushi messages him saying “U might be happy 2 win d tournament, bt someday u might b sad, wen u might wish 2 tlk 2 me bt I might b nt b able 2 do so”. The message is an albatross that Ravin wears when an accident has taken place and Khushi grapples for life in an ICU-this moment is an innocent expression of unhappiness at its ominous best. Tear will roll down when an accident leave Khushi battling with death and Ravinder shattered. It reminds that a beloved can save his love till where God intervenes.

Along with the innate beauty of their love story, the expression of the subtle emotions in the most simple and lucid way makes it special. The fact that the writer does not make any effort to impress the readers with lofty words and articulations point to the honesty of the writer’s feelings.

His narrative is compelling, his emotions reflect a felt experience, and the denouement is touching. In this book, Singh has beautifully portrayed various emotions of life and love, its trials and tribulations, victory and defeat. He laments that his was not "the fate to cherish the fullest form of love". His tribute to the girl he loved will touch many a heart and strike a chord with the readers.

A CELEBRATED maxim says that it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. Ravinder Singh’s ‘I Too Had A Love Story’ proves the maxim true and beautifully depicts the beauty and power of true love through the writer’s own heart touching love story.

The writer has summed up the essence of his story in the most appealing terms. Not everyone in this world has the fate to cherish the fullest form of love. Some are born, just to experience the abbreviation of it.

“They say, don’t cry because it’s over but instead smile because it happened. This inherent hope and optimism is what this book embodies. As we accompany Ravin on his journey to find happiness, we go through a range of emotions. From initial excitement to elation, from contentment to anticipation, despair to devastation and finally a sense of resurrection, we see it all through Ravin’s eyes. I too had a love story is a simple story of love, about trysts of destiny that make up life as we know it. I commend Ravin on having the courage to share something so personal with the world.”

Those for whom love is the most beautiful feeling above human definitions and parameters the book will make for an ever cherished experience.