Aarohi & Just Another Day – Book Reviews

One Saturday morning, I sat down with a plate of piping hot upma, a tumbler of coffee and 2 interesting books in hand. Oops, let me correct myself, two e-books on my phone. This was going to be a morning of many firsts. Firstly, I was letting go of my steadfast resolve to ONLY read physical books! After years of picking Hardbacks over a Kindle, I was finally giving in. Two wonderful writers I know, Anupama Dalmia and Piyusha Vir, have had their e-books published and I knew it was time I let myself go with the new age flow! Secondly, I was getting ready to read Short Stories! Ever since I was a child, I have been reading Novels. The long-winded stories where every leaf is described as much as a character leave me spell bound and in awe of the author’s writing prowess. Short stories, on the other hand, entered my life when I became a blogger. And I have gradually begun to admire the crispness that brevity brings. But picking books with only short stories, that was a first for me, and I flipped the pages with apprehensive fingertips – only to be pleasantly surprised!

Aarohi, by Anupama Dalmia, is a short-story on friendships –the sea of love and support they usher into our lives when we are broken and the depths of unfillable void we are left with when they break! It’s a book that, in all its simplicity, poses just one question – Are you ready to cross the miles and burn the bridges for a friend you share your soul with? With Pihu gone, leaving behind many unanswered questions and a mountain of pain, lonely Anusha finds solace on the badminton court with her new-found friend Aarohi. Aarohi brings in a wave of positivity and cheer into Anusha’s life and in a week’s span, they share a great bond. But when Aarohi stops showing up after a week, Anusha is left to herself to solve the mystery of her missing friend, and unearth the secrets that could shatter all their lives. While the story itself is a great read, with its fair share of twists keeping the reader glued, what I really loved was Anupama Dalmia’s style of writing. It is mature and relatable with a natural flow that brings out the depth of the characters’ emotions almost effortlessly.

Just Another Day is a collection of three short stories by Piyusha Vir. Three seemingly different stories, with the one theme that keeps them glued together – in a span of 24 hours, their characters’ lives could be changing forever. All three thrillers bring something different and unique to the plate. The Writers’ Circle captivates with its eccentric protagonist and its witty sarcastic style, Happy Birthday Saisha draws you in with the poignance and fury in Saisha’s narration while Elevator Tales is light hearted and fun. Piyusha makes sure her book has a veritable platter on offer for the readers! Her style is almost conversational, which gives Just Another Day an air of freshness and ease!

Aarohi and Just Another Day were a well spent 50 minutes of my day! Not only are these e-books an ideal platform for budding writers to showcase their fresh ideas, these quick reads are a great way of enticing non-readers (the ones who scare easy on the number of pages) into the enchanting world of books! So just before you turn that bedside lamp off today, do remember there’s a 15 min-short story you could end your day with, awaiting you just a click away!

Aarohi is available on Amazon Kindly Only @ https://www.amazon.in/Aarohi-Anupama-Dalmia-ebook/dp/B079SH2HHW/

Just Another Day is available on Amazon Kindle Only @ https://www.amazon.in/dp/B079S3NG3M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_dp_.JMIAbN3HH8P4http://amzn.in/hOIaKxf.