Book Review: The one you cannot have by Preeti Shenoy

“There will always be the one you cannot have”, This statement has been very well captured and articulated in the latest novel by Preeti Shenoy called, “The one you cannot have”(TOUCH).

Have a look at what the blurb of the book has to say:         


                               

How long does it take to heal a broken heart? Can you ever forget that one perfect relationship you had?Anjali knows who she wants, she wants Aman. Aman too knows who he wants, he wants Shruti. Shruti and Aman were once inseparable. Theirs was a love that would last forever and more. Then, out of the blue, Shruti left Aman. A devastated Aman moved abroad in the hope of forgetting Shruti and to heal. Shruti married Rishabh. Now Aman is back in India and looking for a fresh start. But he is still haunted by memories of his love. Can he ever break free from it? His head tells him to move on, to find love with Anjali, but his heart wont listen. No matter what he does, Shrutis shadow looms large. Can there be a happily-ever-after for any of them? A straight-from-the-heart modern-day romance of unrequited love, of complicated relationships and about moving on when you realise that there will always be the one you cannot have.

Summary:

Welcome to the world of Aman, Anjali, Shruti and Rishab !! Four individuals in their late twenties. That's what I assumed while I read through. All of them were people you would meet in your day to day life, perfect girl-next door and boy-next door traits. I wouldn't ponder around telling you the details of the story as it is for you to find out by reading the book. The story starts from Norwich were our main protagonist Aman is packing his bags to come back to India after two long years during which he is not able to forget his past and not willing to look forward to his future. There is only one silver lining in the cloud for him and that is Anjali a soft, intelligent, attractive and talented writer-journalist. Shruti on the other hand is  married and happily living with her husband, Rishab in Mumbai. Everything breaks loose when an certain incident changes their life and their marriage is almost on the verge of a divorce. 

Does Aman accept Anjali's love and does Shruti save her marriage from breaking is what you have to find out?

The Pros:

- Preeti Shenoy hits the note where she has written the book from the perspective of three different people Aman, Shruti and Anjali. Trying to keep the plot in mind and writing from the view of three different people with different ideologies is extremely difficult. She maintains the balance extremely well and this was something very new to me. 

- Her style of writing the entire story in the present tense(Which she has followed in the other books too) steals the show and keeps you hooked. There wasn't even a single point where I had got bored and felt like keeping the book down. 

- The script is extremely captivating as the storyline is something that each of us would have undergone in our life. We can relate to every character and that's what's important. he story touches the heart. It's simple, beautiful and subtle. It's something that will melt you, especially the scenes where Aman's state of mind(while he struggles with his past) and Shruti's emotions are to be displayed, the author leaves no stone unturned. 

- Complete justice is done to the title of the story and there is not place where she goes off the hook. 

- I loved the character of Anjali. Her attitude and her maturity was something I would love to gain. There was nothing unreal about Shruti's character too. 

The Cons:

-The ending was something that could have been scripted in a better manner. I felt it ended abruptly. 

-  More emphasis was laid in writing about the past of Aman and Shruti which could have been cut down. But again, it did add spice to the script. 

Lessons Learnt:

I would say what I learnt was the power of AcceptanceI would say what I learnt was the power of Acceptance is well-portrayed. The story teaches you to accept the present and live life to the fullest. There is no way grieving over the past and spoiling your future that could be so beautiful. Relationships are not sugar coated and everyone has to work hard and give in his hundred percent to make it work. 

Verdict:

I would rate the book 4.5/5 and it is worth a read. I enjoyed reading it. I actually didn't want to to keep the book down even when I was travelling to office while my husband was driving(Which did drive him mad :P)