When was the last time you sat down with all your thoughts focussed on scripting the right words, striking words that were irrelevant or which doesn’t reflect the best of your thoughts, gazing into the oblivion and lost in contemplation? Letters were the savior once in showcasing your love, care, affection, evoking inspirations and lifting spirits which have lost its spot to instant messengers in our quotidian life.
Nikita Singh’s latest book has a quirky title “Letters To My Ex” which has been ruling the bestseller list from when the book was released. The striking cover with its peculiar title from the revered author would sure intrigue the readers to grab the book.
Nikita Singh begins the book with the epigraph of Robin William‘s famous quote “You are only given a little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it” which promises the readers for a captivating ride into the book raising the expectations. The book delves into a unique format of writing letters which is a new concept for the readers.
The book begins with the letter written by Nidhi Sharma who has called off her engagement with her soulmate Abhay Shukla. She writes a series of letters to figure out what went wrong consoling herself she did the right thing, convincing herself that life will move on without Abhay whom she had loved with all her heart. Letter after letter she couldn’t believe the fact that she couldn’t lead a life without Abhay realizing her undying love for him. In the meantime, Abhay who is not able to believe what Nidhi did, blames himself for “an incident” which he thinks lead to the parting of their relationship. Did Nidhi forgive Abhay for what he did? Did Abhay forgive Nidhi Sharma for calling off their engagement? Did they get together leading a happy life forever? forms the rest of the book.
The author must be applauded for trying a new format of writing which was clearly exhibiting the thoughts Nidhi or Abhay had in their mind. The characters are well scripted although there are only limited characters featuring in those letters. Nidhi Sharma who is seen writing most of the letters seems beffudled in battling her thoughts justifying her decision to break up. The confusion also nabs the reader’s thought which makes them empathize with her.
As Nidhi and Abhay reminisce incidents over letters pouring their thoughts of how they felt during incidents, it is kind of a revelation for themselves and also to the readers in particular. Nidhi often states that she goes back to the letter to know what state she wrote the letters and how she felt which is kind of relatable and makes the book more tangible. The writing is lucid and the letters accompany the thoughts of Abhay and Nidhi till the end to the readers. The last three chapters or the letters were particularly rivetting vying for the best part of the book although there was an inevitable lag in the middle.
An easy to read book with the author dabbling in an entirely new format of writing, captivating the readers with her lucid plot, although couldn’t ignore a few yawns here and there at times along the short 144 pages book. Go grab the book if you are looking for a short read and also if you are a fan of Nikita Singh.
#Quotes
“Not everything can be controlled just by your brain sending a signal and the heart following hte instructions. Sometimes the heart takes over and that’s okay.”
“I guess that’s the thing about feelings. They are fleeting.”
“As long as it’s manageable. As long as it gets better everyday.”
Book Details:
Author: Nikita Singh
Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Harpercollins India Publications
Language: English
Genre: Romance / Fiction
ISBN: 9352776585
Rating: 3 / 5
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Love,
Jonty.
Musings of Jonty 