"Un"truly Yours?

Untruly Yours is Smita Shetty’s debut novel. Smita has been in the creative field for over seven years. In her spare time she enjoys involving herself in community work. She offers her creative support to Gujarat Hindu Society and has taken up several designing projects for a County Councils employee network group. Untruly yours is her first novel. Smita is originally from Mumbai, India and currently lives with her family in the United Kingdom.

The plot revolves around the life of its female protagonist, Natasha. Natasha belongs to a posh Bengali family while her husband Rakesh is a Tamil Brahmin. The differences in their communities do not come in way of their love and they get married and settle abroad. However, in due course of time, the blazing romance gradually fades, with Rakesh focussing mostly on his work and patients. This doesn't go down well with Natasha and she feels she is no longer her husband’s priority. It is then that she decides to take a break and get away from her husband for a few days. She returns to her home in India along with her son Rishabh, and accompanied by her colleague, Steve. She tries reliving her younger and happier days with friends, family and her past flame, Veer, only to realize the deeper meaning of love that she had failed to understand till now.

Untruly Yours is a story of losing and finding love. It speaks the tale of thousands of romances that tend to lose their strength as years pass by. When the partners start taking each other for granted, they lose the relevance in their lives. Untruly Yours cleverly deals with such topics that are generally the reason for love losing its way among married couples.

The language is simple and lucid. You can easily complete the novel in one go, making it a perfect read for a lazy weekend. The main characters Natasha and Rakesh are quite real, resembling any normal married couple you would come across. The author has used witty humor in most part of the book, which makes you smile at frequent intervals.

Proper attention has been given to details. The words take the form of bright images that flow vividly in your mind as you turn the pages. The narration is smooth and keeps you glued to the story line  There are not too many confusing sub-plots, and that’s what makes it a preferred choice for a leisure read.

Though I really enjoyed reading this book, I felt some parts could have been sketched in a better fashion. For example, the relation between Natasha and Steve, as well as the climax, could have been handled in a more sensitive manner.

However, I would really suggest all book lovers to check out this novel. The story is 146 pages long, and it would be worth your time and penny. The best thing about new authors is that they bring a certain amount of freshness in their work, and this one is no different. Author Smita Shetty does have a lot of potential, and she really proves it on her debut.