Between Now and Forever by Meera Shivashankar : A Review

BOOK TITLE: Between Now and Forever

AUTHOR: Meera Shivashankar

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1945400636

GENRE: Fiction / Romance

NUMBER OF PAGES: 200

FORMAT: Paperback

SERIES / STANDALONE: Standalone

HOW I GOT THIS BOOK: I thank the author for the signed copy with a note that she sent me. This book becomes a treasured copy of my growing bookshelf! Thank you, Meera Shiva for the amazing note! I am still in awe of that beautiful handwriting.

SUMMARY:

The road to redemption is the one less taken. But when one decides to take the road, it is with this gumption and faith - "Come what may, I will face it because at the end of the road is my peace!"

Hotshot California-based businessman, Abhimanyu Singh is responsible for the death of his pregnant girlfriend, Samantha Sen - an attractive Los Angeles - based attorney, in an unfortunate car crash. He walks out alive, a shattered man, realising he will never be the same again.

Wanting to find redemption and himself, he leaves for Darjeeling, India. He meets the beautiful and independent Megha, who's fighting her own battles. They are attracted to each other instantaneously! Will Abhimanyu and Megha find it in them to surmount adversities? Will they find faith and courage to believe, love and live again? Will Abhimanyu find the redemption he seeks on the road between now and forever?

FIRST IMPRESSION:

The book arrived home as a review copy. But to put it at that level would be totally unfair to the beautiful message and the note that accompanied it. The way the note was phrased, (it eventually became my bookmark for the entire duration of reading the book) made me happy to note that such a sweet gesture could still happen. Having always been a fan of the written word, especially the 'handwritten word' (okay, bad pun, I know!) I was bowled over by the personalised message and the signature that I will treasure forever. Special thanks to the author for this.

As to the cover and the summary - simple yet striking enough to make me pick the book up had I seen it in some random book store. I was hoping the story would hold my attention as much as the cover did.

Pro tip: If you really want some extra details about the book and its conception, don't miss the Foreword written by illustrious people!

REVIEW:

A self-confessed M and B fan, the author begins this book with a totally unpredictable sequence. Abhimanyu Singh - young, commitment-phobic, hotshot businessman hears a devastating news from his girlfriend, the charming and successful Samantha Sen. In a rage, he drives recklessly and causes an accident that takes away her life and leaves him a shattered, broken man. Completely blaming himself for the accident and loss of life, he lives with the pain and one day, decides it is all too much and goes to India (Samantha's homeland) in search of redemption. Having no clue as to where her grandparents lived, and not having the guts to approach her parents, who clearly blamed him for the accident, Abhimanyu finally manages to glean a little information about Jayanta and Mitra Sen from snatches of conversation he had had with Sammy (Samantha).

From the way the author described his pain for not having listened to her words better when she had been alive and the way he desperately clings to fading memories to find out something he dearly wanted, I began loving the prose aspect of the book. The old school charm was very evident in the subtle but deep words used to describe emotions, thoughts, and feelings. Abhimanyu comes to India and in the train, he meets Megha Rai, the young, beautiful pediatrician who travels on the same coupe as him. The attraction is instant, confusing and even better - reciprocated. In what could be considered a predictable way, he learns more about her. Megha is previously introduced as the wife of an irresponsible manager of the estates of Jayanta Sen and someone who stays back in the city after his death because she loves the place and the elderly couple as her own.

Abhimanyu is stunned and shocked to learn of the connection the beautiful lady had with the very people he wanted to meet and his belief that fate had brought her to him are fueled further by knowing that Megha had a kid named Samaira (Sammy). The name connection draws him in and a major plot reveal happens. Abhimanyu's arrival at the Sen estate is seen as a solution to many problems, those of the elderly Sens and the estate they are on the danger of losing, Megha and the custody battle she is fighting for her child and Abhi and his own path to redemption. From there, the story is pretty straightforward, not resorting to the cheap tricks like subterfuge, mind games, break ups, relationship hurdles and of course, the drama and all the pain that is considered the staple of romance novels these days.

What I loved the most about the book was the mature love story that happened between the lead pair - even though their own attraction seems a bit dubious and opportunistic initially. I could not shake off the feeling that the pairing of Megha and Abhi seemed a tad unrealistic and all too sudden. But as the story progressed and the author veered towards the ultimate purpose of the novel, concentrating on the more serious things that needed to be taken care of for the romance to flourish (provided the lead pair was up to it and wanted it) I began looking at the book with a different perspective. Abhimanyu does not resort to unbelievable heroism and machismo to impress the Sens. (Special thanks to the author for writing about how men could be emotional too.) Megha does not swoon over and go weak in the knees every time she sees him. The underlying current of tension and the pain of knowing that there will be an inevitable separation keeps the couple distanced and focused on the real purpose of their lives.

The book does have its share of mushy moments (M and B influence very visible), but it is a welcome change from the whole 'only you, me and us' concepts of romance novels these days. There is only enough focus between the lead pair and their own issues (coming out of the pain of a relationship / marriage that ended quite abruptly, by death, in both cases). The rest of the story focuses on the other important things like Abhimanyu finally finding out what he must do to gain the redemption he sought. The clarity of emotions portrayed throughout the book is amazing and I would take back a few valid lessons from this. For those very few who would feel that the story line is way too predictable - this is all I would ask. By reading some other stories, were you too numbed by unpredictable drama, gruesome violence, steamy scenes and the unquenchable need for something more dramatic and racy that you could not accept a realistic story for what it is anymore?

For a character who was not even alive for the first few pages, Samantha Sen forms the crux of the story and is made immortal in our hearts a la James and Lily Potter of the famous Harry Potter series. (One of the most popular fictional couples to have so much influence on many people in spite of being dead for most of the series). There are no major villains or cringe worthy cinematic twists to the story, but what I really loved was the mature portrayal of love, and the way the author managed to bring out the lust between two young people who are soul searching. It maybe due to the influence of more and more books with American English that I have gotten used to reading of late, or it might be because I really did not like a few words in the English language, some parts of the book jarred me in places. I could not refrain from commenting on the excessive exclamation marks or the lack of commas where they were needed. While they did not really ruin my reading experience, proper usage could have made the book a much better package.

Favorite Quote:
'...if you feel helpless, you ought to become a source of help to someone else who is helpless.’
'... when you feel you don’t have love in your life, the best thing to do would be give your love to someone who needs it. The heart’s capacity to love is infinite.'

If you like a mature romance that is not limited to the romance angle, but focuses on the big picture, go for this! You will feel good about an evening well spent. However, if you go in looking for drama and backbiting, please don't disappoint yourself. This book has none of the staples you might have come to associate with this genre, except maybe the restrained passion between the lead couple and the physical descriptions about the people in the story. If you have always wanted to read a psychologist's take on how a romantic relationship works, this might be a good place to begin. This is the perfect blend of an older, wiser mind and a young, passionate heart. *pen down*

WHAT I LIKED:

• Mature, beautiful writing.
• The character of Samantha Sen - I like her in the few words that described her character and she stood in my memory. So did little Samaira.
• The overall story, stressing on the importance of seeking redemption - a trait that is slowly disappearing.

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:

• For a villain who was portrayed with such an alarming build up, Shakuntala Devi fell flat. I did end up feeling like Abhimanyu did and could only pity the frail old lady.
• The exclamation points and lack of commas made me alter my reading tone in my head and I felt they could be corrected to smoothen the flow of the narrative.
• I would like to know what happened to Bijoy Sen - I was really hoping for a little more detail on what happened between Abhi and Samantha's parents, even if it were not the positive end that I wanted (read: reconcilation)

VERDICT:

A book that leaves you with a good feeling, and teaches you a thing or two about how complicated love could become.

RATING: 4/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

If you want to know more about the author and her other works, go to her website! 

EDITIONS AVAILABLE: Kindle, Paperback

PRICE Rs.200 for Kindle, Paperback

BOOK LINKS: Amazon