Promise me a million times
Author: Keshav Aneel
Publisher: Srishti Publications
Rating: 3.5/5
“It is a complicated world. People have a hard time finding each other and when they do… they’re scared to take the risk.” “Promise me a million times” is a novella about friendship, love, trust, dreams, coping skills and the struggles one goes through. The story revolves around Charlie and Edwin, strong, determined and conscientious protagonists, who have each other’s back and support each other through the thick and thin. When the odds do not seem in favour of Edwin’s career, he decides to move to the city. Charlie, the loyal friend that he is, follows his friend for the sake of helping him and giving him moral and emotional support. Tables are turned when Charlie is struck by cupid’s arrow. Enters Aster in his life, and he starts living a life of a happy camper only to realize a little later that he is not suited for Aster. Consequently, Charlie leaves and then begins the process of introspection, repentance and struggle to get back the love.
Grab this book to explore the deep, dark and complex cobwebs of life!
My opinion
It is not important how many friends you have but the quality of people you spend your time with is more important. “Promise me a million times” is one such book that is a blend of friendship, love and trust. The author has done justice with the characters of the story and the star feature of the story is the well-paced and focused storyline. There is no diversion, unlike other stories where love is explained in terms of physical intimacy.
The narration is lucid. The dialogues are short and crisp. The first few chapters have lengthy monologues that might act as a turn-off. Secondly, the proofreading and editing have been ignored. There are grammatical errors like Page 3: My life is like a house that has been defaced by a storm; Page 7: Despite long queues. These are the examples of the incorrect usage of grammar. The plot takes the readers on a roller coaster ride, where they can feel every emotion, as felt by the characters of the story. The author has also successfully pointed out the clichéd phrase- “Friendship lasts lifelong” and exposed the dark reality behind all the struggles in life. How can love help in conquering all odds- this has been beautifully portrayed by the story.
Somehow, the story reminds me of the movies like Two States, Dhadkan and The Notebook. The plot seems to be adapted from these stories.
Overall, a good job done by the author. Best wishes!
Buying Link: Amazon