Book Review: Perfect Love (5.5 Ways to a lasting relationship)

Book: Perfect Love 

Author: Shubha Vilas

Publisher: Westland Books

Genre: Non-Fiction | Self-Help

Pages: 203

Price: 350 INR

Blurb:

Happily ever afters are easier said than done. How do we choose the right partner, and how do we sustain that relationship so it lasts a lifetime?

Spiritual life coach Shubha Vilas tells you how, with the help of six beautiful love stories from the scriptures. Nala and Damayanti, Krishna and Rukmini, Shakuntala and Dushyanta, Udayana and Vasavadatta, Satyavan and Savitri, Draupadi and the five Pandava brothers—these are accounts we may have heard many a time but have not had an opportunity to understand in such depth and detail, and with such empathy.

But why 5.5 ways and not 6? Because the sixth way is a half-truth, which can be twisted either way.

Combining powerful story-telling with deep philosophical truths, Perfect Love is a treasure trove of scriptural wisdom for the modern age.

An enriching and personal guide for having healthy relationships

"Perfect Love" by Shubha Vilas is a book that has plenty to offer its readers. It does not only teach how to have a long lasting relationship with your partner but makes you feel good about the world that you live in. In this digital world, we often feel that maintaining relationships have become tougher, but reading this book will change your perspective. 

Through 6 classic Vedic stories, the author has imparted his knowledge in maintaining relationships. In Nala and Damyanti's story, the author has shown the importance of forgiveness in a relationship. He says that tolerate first and then forgive. Mistakes are committed by human beings. Even a person with the best qualities can commit an unbelievable mistake. If the relationship is important, you must learn to forgive. 

"Forgiveness comes between bitterness and betterness.

The ability to forgive a mistake is always greater than the rigidity to hold a grudge." ~Page 29

The second story is about Krishna and Rukmini. It is one of my favorite stories in this collection. I loved the way the author has narrated this story. It was a treat to read Rukmini's letter to Krishna. Through this story, the author shows the importance of expressing your love. When a person uses the right words to express his or her love, it strengthens the relationship. 

"Words play with the ball of emotions in the playground of our hearts in the game of love. Choose words well to win the game of love." ~ Page 56

The third story is about Dushyant and Shakuntala, where the importance of trusting your partner is shown. In the story of Udayana and Vasavadatta, the author has shown that good times in a relationship help tide over bad times. Therefore, it is extremely important to spend quality time with your partner. 

"To align with one another, two people need to have deep, meaningful, soul-searching conversations." ~Page 135

The fifth story is about Satyavan and Savitri. It is my another favorite story in this collection. Through Savitri, the author has shown the importance of determination to stay together in a relationship. 

"Do not underestimate the role of determination in a relationship. Ordinary relationships transform into extraordinary bonds when ordinary people show extraordinary determination." ~Page 148

The sixth story is about Draupadi and the Pandavas. Just like Satyabhama, I also wondered how Draupadi had a peaceful married life, despite having five husbands. This story shows that positive conditions can help a relationship blossom, whereas negative conditions can make a relationship wither away with time. 

"Positive conditions are like a rainbow that unites the rainbow with the sun. Negative conditions are like lightning that divides even the sky." ~ Page 190

"Perfect Love" is a book that will enlighten you, one story at a time. All the six stories have thrill and adventure, apart from romance. The book is embellished with plenty of beautiful and enriching quotes. The writing is refined and the editing is perfect. I am going with 4.5 and would love to recommend this book to everyone as it is filled with wisdom. 

I got a review copy from the author for an honest review. The opinions are my own.

Book Review: Love Sutra: Secret to Happily Ever After

Book: Love Sutra: Secret to Happily Ever After

Author: Urvashi Pahwa

Genre: Fiction | Short stories

Format: Kindle Edition

Pages: 170

Price: 65 INR

A unique book on modern day relationships!

Love Sutra: Secret to Happily Ever After by Urvashi Pahwa is a collection of 5 short stories on relationships. What makes the book stand out from other short story collections is that the author has given solutions for problems that frequently occur in relationships.

In a unique manner, the author has diagnosed the cause of the problem and prescribed some easy solutions in reference to each story. The solutions are simple and effective. The problems that the author has talked about in the five stories are common problems in a relationship such as boredom, depression, diminishing self-worth, oppressed opinions, excessive suspicion, excessive display of love and affection, loneliness, etc. 

All the 5 stories are well narrated. These are very real stories that anyone can relate to. The first story, "Cassanova's Lover" is about a girl who unknowingly falls in love with a Cassanova and gets heartbroken and later gets repeatedly blackmailed. The second story "The Rich Wife" is about a married couple where the wife feels lonely because the husband is a workaholic. The third story "Love Birds" is about a young couple who battles with insecurity and the need for personal space. The fourth story "Miss Belligerent" is a story that shows the importance of a supportive life partner. Love is not enough for a marriage to work; it also requires understanding, respect, trust, and support. The last story "Mr. Always Right" is about a dominating husband who never cares to listen to what his wife wants. 

Love Sutra: Secret to Happily Ever After is a quick and light read. It can be seen as a self-help book for people who are in relationships. However, the book doesn't sound preachy or didactic. I believe that young couples can learn a few things by reading this book. I am going with 4 stars. 

Book Spotlight: Love Sutra: Secret to Happily Ever After by Urvashi Pahwa

Urvashi Pahwa's debut book "Love Sutra: Secret to Happily Ever After" uncovers the secrets of happily ever after through a couple of interesting short stories. 

About the Book

What happens AFTER falling in love? Is there a happily ever after or love fades away?
It is hard to find love but even harder to keep it strong. Sometimes, little things that we overlook matter a lot. 
Through a series of short stories, uncover the secrets of happily ever after. Take a ride into the lives of these five couples and explore how easy it is to keep dating forever.
•Casanova's Lover - A girl falls for a Casanova. Her heart was bound to be broken but will she ever find love again?
•The Rich Wife - She can buy whatever she likes, but all she needs is time from her husband. Is it her fault or her husband's? 
• Love Birds - Young hearts meet in college and start living together but more they get to know each other, more they start fighting on silly things. And then they found a way to solve this forever. 
•Miss Belligerent - Her husband was an entrepreneur. As a few challenges popped up, she clutched her claws on him, making his life miserable. How would he escape the situation?
•Mr. Always Right - He considered himself superior to his wife, and did not value her opinions, crushing her self - respect. Will she ever stand up for herself or will she keep enduring it?

Grab your copy of the eBook HERE

If you enjoy reading books on love and relationships, you might like it. The review of the book will be posted on the blog soon. 

You can connect with the author on

INSTAGRAM

TWITTER

FACEBOOK

Book Review: A Window To Her Dreams

Book: A Window To Her Dreams

Author: Harshali Singh

Publisher: Readomania

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 320

Price: 299 INR

Blurb:

Aruna, a young divorcee, marries Bhuvan, an averagely successful young man. Both make promises of ever after with preconceived expectations—hers, freedom from a judgmental society and validation of herself and his, unconditional love and partnership.

Despite their best intentions, life plays rogue.

On the one hand, Aruna’s learned conditioning, developed as a result of her past, keeps coming in the way of their married normalcy and on the other, Bhuvan cannot fathom the signs of her distress.

Their good intentions are tried at every step until the day when Aruna’s past revisits her. Bhuvan’s silences, Aruna’s distrust and the resurrection of her troublesome past lead to a downward spiral in their life that shakes Aruna to the core.

As she stands on the precipice of a second failed marriage, Aruna tries one last time to take control of her life, something she had willingly surrendered last time.
Does she succeed in saving her marriage? Or is she held back by her own apprehensions, choosing to stay victim? 

A poignant story that will make you introspect about your own choices

"A Window To Her Dreams" is the story of a young divorcee, Aruna who decides to marry Bhuvan for her own selfish reasons. Although she is not ready for a marriage after a failed marriage that had bruised her physically, emotionally and psychologically, she decides to marry Bhuvan because the tag of a divorced woman chokes her and she wants a respite from the prying eyes of society by marrying a man who will love and respect her. 

But if the foundation of a marriage is weak, can it sustain long? 

Can a broken person dare to love again? 

Can a relationship that starts with dishonesty, flower with the passage of time? 

Is it easy to forget the past and move on? 

Is it possible to trust again, after your trust has been shattered in the most ruthless manner?

These are the questions that the author, Harshali Singh has dealt with, in the book with deftness. I really liked the way the author has sketched a few scenes where Aruna's dilemma is palpable. She understands the depth of Bhuvan's love, but a certain voice in her stops her from accepting his love and being transparent with him. But as the saying goes, love and only love can heal the most broken soul. 

However, there are many characters in the book. And the author has added a subplot for almost each of the characters which distracted me from Aruna and Bhuvan's story. Although I liked some of the characters like Aruna's mother, Uma and her sister, Charu, some of the characters and their stories weakened my interest in the book, at times. I loved the prologue where the haveli narrates the story of the people living in it, but in some chapters, the haveli's narration seemed unnecessary. 

The book is beautifully written, with a good vocabulary. Some of the lines are so well written that it was a treat reading them. 

"There has to be a special name to this pain...the pang that squeezes a mother's heart at the sight of her despondent child. Is there ever an end to it or do mothers die with this ache? Is it universal or is it only mothers who are cursed to feel this deep agony" (Chapter 1)

It is not a fast paced book as I mentioned that there are so many characters and their stories in it. The cover does complete justice to the book. I will recommend it to the ones who enjoy reading women's fiction. Aruna's story and choices will definitely make you introspect about your own choices. 

I am going with 3.5

'I received a copy from Writersmelon in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.'

Posto Movie Review

Last weekend, I went to watch a Bengali film called “Posto” with my Dad. The reason for watching the movie is that Posto is directed by the same director duo, Shiboprosad Mukherjee and Nandita Roy, who had enthralled me in the last two years with movies like ‘Bela Seshe’ and ‘Praktan’.

This director duo surely knows how to tell a story that is emotional and relatable. The subjects that they deal with in their movies are something that will linger in your mind long after you have left the theatres. While Bela Seshe (In the Autumn of my Life) was an emotional re-discovery of the institution of marriage, Praktan (Former) was about a separated married couple who bumped into each other years after, on a train journey from Mumbai to Kolkata.

Their latest offering, Posto is about a seven-year old boy, Posto who lives with his grandparents in Shantiniketan. His parents, Arnab and Sushmita are ambitious, working individuals living in Kolkata who have no time to look after Posto. Therefore, they have left Posto with his grandparents in Shantiniketan. Posto’s grandparents Dinen and Gauri cannot think of their life without Posto. In the same way, Posto is also very much attached to his grandparents.

Life is rosy with Posto’s parents visiting him on the weekends and his grandparents raising him. Things become chaotic when Arnab gets a lucrative business offer in the UK. He plans to relocate to the UK with his wife and son. But Posto’s grandparents are not willing to let go of Posto whom they had raised like their own child since Posto was a baby. Seeing no other way out, Posto’s grandfather decides to fight against his own son to gain the custody of Posto. The matter drags to the court where a heart-wrenching tale of attachment and love unfolds.

Dale Carnegie had said long back “When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion.” We human beings get attached to the ones with whom we spend a lot of time and who love us unconditionally. This is the reason why Posto calls his grandmother ‘Ma’ whereas his mother ‘Mammam”. As Posto is raised by his grandparents, he is attached to them much more than his parents. 

His biological parents think that they have every right to take Posto with them wherever they want, without realizing that Posto hardly knows his parents beyond the weekend meetings. His life revolves around his grandparents, the same way his grandparents’ lives revolve around him. The lawyer fighting the case asks a pertinent question to the judge which is so relevant:

Who is the actual guardian? The biological parents or the caregiver parents? Devaki or Yashoda?

Giving birth to a child is not enough. Raising the child to be a wonderful human being is the true duty of every parent. And in this movie, that duty is done by Posto’s grandparents. Despite their age and physical ailments, they spend all their time looking after Posto, giving him the right education and teaching him the values of life. 

This movie is extremely relevant in today’s times as many parents due to their busy schedule cannot spend ample amount of time with their children. The movie also shows the role that grandparents play in the life of their grandchildren. The first half of the movie is good, but the second half takes the audience on an emotional ride when the matter gets dragged to court. Some of the scenes made me so emotional that tears started rolling down my eyes.

Since the backdrop of the movie is Shantiniketan, Tagore songs are a huge element of the movie that beautifies it effortlessly. Soumitra Chatterjee as Dinen Lahiri is fabulous in the movie. Special mention to the child actor, Arghya Basu Roy for making the character of Posto so lovable. Performances by Jisshu Sengupta, Paran Bandopadhyay, Lily Chakraborty and Mimi Chakraborty are also praiseworthy.

Posto is a beautiful Bengali film that will be loved by the Bengali audience as it has Tagore songs, authentic emotions and a great theme. I would recommend Posto to everyone who loves watching a good movie. This is a slice of life movie with the perfect backdrop and brilliant performances. I am going with 4.5 stars.