I thought of reading If It’s Not Forever by Durjoy Datta and Nikita Singh after reading the sample pages on Flipkart.com and ordered the book immediately. The sample read was the first chapter of the book which actually tempted me to order the book.
The first chapter was written very effectively describing the horrors of the victims of the bomb blast in the heart of Delhi- Chandni Chowk and also inner turmoil of the lucky victim Deb who narrowly escaped death. So when the book landed in my hand I started reading it with lot of enthusiasm.
But for the first few chapters, it seemed that authors have nothing substantial to write. Deb is constantly recalling the horrific images from the blast. It is the same thing written again and again. When the blah on blast trauma takes backseat then the characters are talking and thinking only about bedroom stuff as if gen-next has nothing else to do. This again makes the book a pain to read. It like moving in a circle and coming back from where it started. So it was a bit boring after the first chapter.
Deb finds a partially burned diary written by a someone who is madly and truly in love with a girl but never manages to tell her. Deb finds the notes of diary very intriguing and decides to complete the unfinished love story of the owner of the diary by giving the diary to the rightful person.
It is from here the book picks up and never looks back. There was a tinge of suspense in the entire story about the fate of the love story in the diary. Deb and his friends running from one city to another chasing clues and trying to put to together the pieces of the dead guy’s intriguing story.
The Diary is the integral part of the book which should be very forceful and powerful. But sadly the diary is good only in patches. Most of the time I felt like notes in diary are straight taken from the bollywood movies.
In the book readers will find different shades of love. Like platonic love between Ritam and Ragini, purely lust in love between Shrey and Tiya, and love and lust both in Deb and Avantika relation. Authors also describes about the dangers of drug addiction through characters like Nigel and Ragini, how they destroyed their bright future due to drug addiction.
Towards the end of the story there are too many twist and turns which takes away the melancholy part of the story and guides the book towards the happy ending. I think sad ending actually leaves a profound effect on the reader because this is the way life in reality.
The book has a strong message to make your loved ones be it anyone feel special and at least do express your feeling as we never know kal ho na ho. Stay away from drugs and alcohols as they are not the source of happiness but of total destruction beyond recovery for many.
It is a one time good to read book. A total time pass.
More Books by Durjoy Datta
Of Course I Love You! (2008)
Now That You’re Rich (2009)
She Broke Up, I Didn’t. (2010)
Ohh Yes, I’m Single! (2010)
You Were My Crush (2011)
If It’s Not Forever! (2012)
Till The Last Breath (2012)
Someone Like You (2013)
Hold My Hand (2013)
