Not All Love Stories Are Perfect, But This Book Definitely Is

In the middle of the catastrophic 2008 recession, Aditya, a jobless, penniless man meets an attractive stranger in a bar. Little does he know that his life will change forever.

When Radhika, a young, rich widow, marries off her stepdaughter, little does she know that the freedom she has yearned for is not exactly how she had envisioned it.

They say homing pigeons always come back to their mate, no matter where you leave them on the face of this earth. The Homing Pigeons is the story of love between these two unsuspecting characters as it is of lust, greed, separations, prejudices and crumbling spines.

About the Author

A hotelier by education, an ex-banker and a senior executive in the outsourcing industry, Sid gave up a plush career in the outsourcing industry to follow his passions. Based out of Ranikhet, he is now a struggling entrepreneur and a happy writer. A self- proclaimed eccentric, he is an avid blogger who loves to read and cook. Cooking stories, however, is his passion. The Homing Pigeons is his debut novel. He can be reached at sidd.bahri@gmail.com

Some things in life you wish had never ended; like the first drop of rain finding solace in the petals of a blooming rose, snuggling against the dewy contours, eventually evaporates with the afternoon rays; like the first kiss you share with the person you love, innocent yet pure, eyes dreamy and heart melodious; like watching the first steps of your little child, stumbling against the blocks, yet standing strong and walking ahead towards your embrace. Read Sid Bahri’s ‘The Homing Pigeons’, and you will add the novel in this list too.

For this is not just a novel, no, neither a 300 odd pages of simple fiction; ‘The Homing Pigeons’ is a depiction of life, of love, of loss, and of the myriad of emotions we all, as humans, battle day in and day out. ‘The Homing Pigeons’ is a conflict, the war that constantly rages within our conscience, often tearing us apart, and yet we fail to learn. ‘The Homing Pigeons’ is a tale of mistakes, the follies of our hearts, as we fall prey to the devil sitting in our mind. ‘The Homing Pigeons’ is not just a novel, its LIFE, in bold.

The tagline goes – ‘Not all love stories are perfect, but then, neither are people.’ The story revolves around Aditya and Radhika, two young hearts who fall in love, only to be victimized by the cruel turns of fate. At one moment, they are together, happy with each other’s company, carving castles of a blissful future, and at the very next instance, they realize that the castles made of sand are too fragile, only to be swept away by the waves of destiny. They meet, and they part, circumstances playing a game of ping pong with these characters, and you can’t stop breathing in anticipation as to where exactly the points would meet.

And then you stop breathing, at the end of each chapter, and that’s where Sid Bahri scores brownie points galore. He keeps the suspense alive, word after word, every page promising something new, unique and different. What makes it all the more interesting is that he manages to create real characters out of a fictional story. Yes, Aditya and Radhika are real, as real as you and me.

It is this realism that’s weaved so beautifully which manages to keep you hooked to the story. There never is a dull moment, and you sail through suavely with the first person narration in offer, alternating between the two protagonists. The exciting bit is that you, as a reader, get to view the same circumstance in different viewpoints. As a result, you don’t judge the characters and their actions, you just live with them.

‘The Homing Pigeons’ is definitely one of the best stories I have come across. Set upon the backdrop of recession, the plot explores the subtlety of feelings and emotions perfectly. So many times while reading this story a thought came to my mind – “This author has the potential to be termed as the Indian Khaled Hosseini.” I do not compare writers, as each one has a unique style of his/her own, but when I came across a debut that can be termed as equally good as a writer I have been admiring from years, I couldn't stop myself.

And yes, all love stories may not be perfect, as the tagline goes, but this story can easily be termed as one.

Title: The Homing Pigeons...: Not All Love Stories are Perfect, but Then, Neither are People

Author: Sid Bahri

Publisher: Srishti Publishers & Distributors

Publication Year: 2013

Language: English

Binding: Paperback

No. of Pages: 328

My Rating: 5/5

"This book review is a part of The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program. To get free books visit thereaderscosmos.blogspot.com."