Book Review : The Journey of Om

Title : The Journey of Om
Author : Chandru Bhojwani
Publisher : Pustak Mahal
ISBN : 978-81-223-1091-7

Om, a columnist for a magazine is a sensitive and emotional lover who very diligently expresses his emotions to his lover Preeti and shows her that he really cares. But as a strong punch in the stomach he gets to witness his girlfriend cheating on him. That very moment of betrayal makes his whole life fall apart and he takes refuge in his trusted friends and liquor. Typical melodramatic bad breakup phase follows. As the story progresses, Om keeps trying to put the past behind him and to move on but finds hard to do so as the memories of past tend to overpower him during the unguarded moments. He continues finding solace in losing his sensibilities to liquor. Some of the side stories about his close friends - Arun and Mona are added to the narrative displaying the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of different individuals, in different situations and at different junctures in life. Through the side stories, the author brings in cross cultural and cross country relationships, which are not alien to people now. This helps in giving a contemporary and modern feel to the story.

Throughout the book, a very informal tone of narration is adhered to, depicting the waves of emotions that Om experiences. The characters come across as very believable and the precise and detailed portrayal of their inner feelings make them so. Om is introduced as a person next door, nothing special or extraordinary about him. But as the story moves forward he starts resembling more like a spineless person who lacks determination and confidence both. But then no single character from the story rises above to potentially make an indelible mark on reader's mind. The weak plot offers nothing new and the handling also fails to garb it into any new packaging.

For a debut writer, Chandru does have the flow in his writing and the ease with which he connects the past events with the present is commendable. There are some occasions when the wit and humor are attempted to be brought in the narrative but much remains unfulfilled. If you are looking to satisfy your literary appetite, I would say this is not the one. If you must, read it once to appreciate the effort of a budding Indian author in the literary firmament. Hope to see some more substance and quality from the author in future.