Trials of true love
A love story for the lads, by debut writer/ filmmaker, Kenny Deori Basumatary, Chocolate Guitar Momos, kicks off with young aspiring musician Joseph getting kicked out of a relationship, yet again, by his third girlfriend, soon after he sends her a song painfully composed by him. Going into a blue funk, he curses her for dumping him, for selling his bike, and for starting an affair with a friend he’d introduced her to.
Believing that relationships won’t work out unless they’re destined to be, he decides to track down a girl he believes might have been his soulmate — a girl who had smiled at him from a bus stop across the street eight years ago, a day when something happened to his trousers which is something only the ‘soulmate’ would remember. The minor obstacle: he knows nothing of her — no name, no address, nothing. The major obstacle: he doesn’t even remember her face. The only thing he does remember is that she was wearing a grey skirt.
Harnessing the reach of radio and the Internet, and dragging along his skeptical but loyal buddy Utpal, Joseph embarks on a search for his soulmate. After a furious search on the Internet, and some false starts, which ends up in Utpal finding a girlfriend instead; after one year’s wait and nearly giving up, he finally does end up meeting her. Although smitten at first glance, and nearly swept off his feet, things are complicated for Joseph, as she has four wishes that she’d like him to fulfill for her. The rest of the story is about their journey while Joseph attempts to fulfill each of her wishes, and in return is able to spend time with her, although she warns him not to fall in love with her.
For a debut writer, Kenny does have an interesting and entertaining story to tell, and manages it with a well-knit plot aided by the right twists and turns, making this almost cinematic.
The narrative is fast paced and the prose simple. The scene also shifts from the usual Mumbai or Delhi that one reads about in Indian novels, to Guwahati, a landscape that the author is familiar with, and which makes the story interesting giving it a different feel from the usual urban romances.
The main characters, Joseph, Aastha, Utpal and Nadia are interesting and witty. The plot and its young vibe are sure to appeal to a young audience.
The only flaw being the author’s treatment of characters and dialogues in quite a few instances. All his characters are made to mouth a series of profanities, and this sometimes makes you squirm, and makes the writing seem a bit prudish. Tighter editing and a toning down of the use of cuss words more than necessary would have ensured a more commendable effort and would certainly help characterisation, as the plot is certainly there. An entertaining weekend read for collegegoers looking beyond the urban romances.
Ahmed Faiyaz is the author of Another Chance
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