Title: The Other Guy
Author: Aakash Mehrotra
Blurb:
A bold and beautiful book that touches the heart and mind forever. Set in contemporary India, The Other Guy is a tale of forbidden gay love. Amidst laws which declare them criminals, emotional repression and societal suppression, Nikhil and Anuj, two talented young men, are deeply in love with each other. Though polar opposites, they effortlessly complement each other. The truth is known only to a few select friends, and to Anuj's sister. The novel is about making the hard, heartbreaking choices to allow such a relationship to breathe and survive in a traditional land of rigid taboos. Anuj experiences separation from his family as he decides to choose candour over coy; to listen to his desires; to be open and free. But it is not the same with his partner, Nikhil. When his mother initiates talk of marriage, Anuj coaxes Nikhil to take a decision that can scar their lives forever. Do societal diktats run the lives of these gifted young men or does love prevail? Do Anuj and Nikhil have the last laugh, using society against itself? Nikhil and Anuj's story is just one of many, most of them buried in the misery of silence. It deserves to be read by everyone who wishes to see a more inclusive world where acceptance and humanity grace our lives.
My Views:
Rating:4/5
Reviewer: Shweta Kesari
Author: Aakash Mehrotra
Blurb:
A bold and beautiful book that touches the heart and mind forever. Set in contemporary India, The Other Guy is a tale of forbidden gay love. Amidst laws which declare them criminals, emotional repression and societal suppression, Nikhil and Anuj, two talented young men, are deeply in love with each other. Though polar opposites, they effortlessly complement each other. The truth is known only to a few select friends, and to Anuj's sister. The novel is about making the hard, heartbreaking choices to allow such a relationship to breathe and survive in a traditional land of rigid taboos. Anuj experiences separation from his family as he decides to choose candour over coy; to listen to his desires; to be open and free. But it is not the same with his partner, Nikhil. When his mother initiates talk of marriage, Anuj coaxes Nikhil to take a decision that can scar their lives forever. Do societal diktats run the lives of these gifted young men or does love prevail? Do Anuj and Nikhil have the last laugh, using society against itself? Nikhil and Anuj's story is just one of many, most of them buried in the misery of silence. It deserves to be read by everyone who wishes to see a more inclusive world where acceptance and humanity grace our lives.
My Views:
Read many love stories, and now tired of picking a new one! But this new arrival, 'The Other Guy' seemed to serve something different. Honestly, I was not expecting much from this book initially. To me, it was just like another read, of which I have to skip some pages to finish it off quickly. But, what happened when I started reading the book is completely opposite. I wanted to read more and more of it.
The way Aakash goes into the detailing of every situation made me feel everything our protagonist experienced. I liked how he maintained the balance with the descriptions he provided. He neither exaggerated nor minimized it. Everything can be felt and visualized with great ease and great charm. He knows very well how to trigger the emotional part of the human, and he used that prowess to charm his readers at its best.
With such narration, he succeeds to tucks the reader in the hooks of story. I was very much impressed with his narrating style during the entire journey.What he chose to write about took my vote. How he represented it gained my another vote. How he dropped the story on a serious note made me give it a serious thought. This one is seriously a thought-provoking topic. And the way he has put across his message lets the reader understand the importance as to why we need to mend our thinking in the right direction. Our thoughts are clutching many lives, and are ruining many feelings.
I would say it a good read! There's a story, a very good narration of it, and atop them a great message for the readers. Stories are one of the best ways to be in another's shoes, and this is what author tried to do with this story. He wanted to make his readers understand transgender's life, and it's important to understand their feelings. He very-well communicated his thoughts and very deliberately made me get a taste of it.
Rating:4/5
Reviewer: Shweta Kesari
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