The red carpet by Lavanya Sankaran

"The red carpet" debut novel of Lavanya Sankaran. This book is published by  Headline in 2006 and has 215 pages. This book is a collection of eight stories.

'Bombay this' is the story of a shy person, his attractions, disappointments and fantasies. 'Closed curtains' is about an man who's wife had almost lost memory and son has left India forever and who tries to find pleasures of everyday life and parental love in neighbors. 'Two Four Six Eight' displays the emotional world of a young girl and her relationship with her maid servant. 'The Red carpet' is the story of a driver who is satisfied with what he has and whose joy knows no bound when he gets that little extra which he had not expected. 'Alphabet soup' is a story of Second generation Indian-American girl who travels back to Bangalore to trace her roots. 'Mysore coffee' is about the dilemma of suicide. 'Birdie num-num' is about return of a girl from America to India whose mother wants to marry her. 'Apple pie one by two' is about two friends who have studied, worked, founded a company and sold it together and who are now parting.

Lavanya has a unique writing style. She appears not to be trying to tell anything in the stories. All the stories end without any conclusion and readers are left to interpret the end of each. Based on the mood, intelligence and creativity of the readers,  end of each story can be interpreted in ten different ways. The stories make the readers work their imagination and think.

All the stories are situated in Bangalore. The IT and pub culture, the changing times and anticipation run through the stories as common themes. It appears that Ramu is Lavanya's favorite name. A character named Ramu appears in three out of eight stories.

All the stories are good stories. I liked 'Two Four Six Eight' and 'The Red carpet' the most and 'Alphabet soup', the least.

Although this is Lavanya's debut book, I have read her second book 'The hope factory' first. Somehow there was a break of more than one month while reading this book. Had I read it continuously, probably I would have enjoyed it more.

A good book. Recommend reading.

Back in time by Andaleeb Wajid

"Back in time" by Andaleeb Wajid. This book is published by Bloomsbury India in 2014 and has 162 pages. This is the second book of Tamanna trilogy. (I had posted a review of first book 'No time for goodbyes' last month).

Tamanna is back in past using a sepia photograph and meets Manoj in Madras. The camera which also doubles up as time machine is stolen. A cousin of ajji's husband, nicknamed 'dragon amma' by Manoj, is scheming to kick ajji and her daughters out of their house. Tamanna is in a life threatening road accident in 1983.

Can she go back to present? Will Manoj accompany her? Why does a sepia photograph cause her time travel? Does any one else know the secret of time travel?

Andaleeb has kept it simple and straight. Love story and time travel is a potent combination. Author has handled both deftly without compromising one for other or letting one overpower other.

If you have read first book, you can not resist reading this one and can't wait for the third one. The story moves on and readers are hooked. There are hilarious, dramatic and emotional situations in past and Tamanna responds to them with the experience of present.

This is a small book but it packs the punch. End of the book is again interesting and readers are sure to see another time travel in next book, but this time it will be to the future, not past.

A very good book. Must read if you have read the first one.

No time for goodbyes by Andaleeb Wajid

"No time for goodbyes" by Andaleeb Wajid. This book is published by Bloomsbury India in 2014 and has 205 pages.

It's 2012. Tamanna, a sixteen year old, is bored out of her bones. She goes to the attic and finds an old sepia Polaroid photograph of her young mother, her two sisters and an unknown youth. While she is looking at it, she is sucked into it and time travels to 1982, 30 years back to her grandmother's house when the photo was taken.

Here her mother and aunts are of her age. She is mistaken for the pen pal of Manoj, the youth in photo. It's a different world for her. It's the same city, Bangalore, but looks very different and beautiful. Her mother and aunts seem to have a crush on Manoj. Tamanna tells Manoj how she came in 1982. It becomes clear that the time machine is the camera of Manoj's grandfather had assembled. But no one knows what triggered time travel. Grandfather does not know how to send her back. Inevitably Tamanna and Manoj are first attracted and then fall in love. Both know that this is not correct, it won't workout, but can't help it.

Can Tamanna go back to the present? Can she stay away from Manoj? Is her mother helps of her? Why Manoj is not there in 2012? Will she travel back to 1980s? Will they unite?

Andaleeb had used two tried and tested formulae. One of time travel and another of love, but she has used them to put together a very good story. Time travel is not new for fiction readers but reading it in Indian context was a novelty.

Andaleeb has shown the emotions of teen aged girl very well. First love, infatuation, emotional upheaval and change of time period to top it up and you have a heady mix. Old time Bangalore is described in detail on the backdrop of today's Bangalore. Bangloreits would like it. The reactions and wonderment of today's teen to the good old days 30 years ago is depicted very well. Although it's about time travel it's essentially a love story.

The language used in 1982 sounds more like year 2000, much modern for the times. This appears to be the only drawback.

The end of story could have been anything and it would have still made some readers unhappy. Author has chosen to end the story very beautifully. Rather than giving answer, she has left it for the readers to decide and ended on a beautiful turn. Full marks for the end.

After completing this book I came to know that this is first book of the trilogy. Second book is already published. Looking forward to read it.

A very good book. Must read.