Decoding Life by Vikas Singhal

Book: Decoding Life
Author: Vikas Singhal
Publishing House: Gargi Publishers
Category: Fiction/Short-Story
Rating: 2/5
 

Story-in-Short:

“Decoding Life” is an anthology based on relations, love and human perceptions. 

‘The Taxi Driver’ depicts the emotions of a young lady on a thunderous night in  when she takes a local taxi driven by a feiry driver. ‘A Rain Kissed Tuesday’ is a Hindu-Muslim love story where Aditya falls in love with Arisha on a rainy day. 

Mumbai

One of the stories, talk about the tension and the excitement of two people who are about to get married. ‘Two states’ brings up the small environmental difference felt by two friends who are living in two different states. 

This sparkling anthology covers a wide range of human emotions. This would make you feel good when you decode them one by one. The stories talk through silences and are very thought-provoking! Enjoy decoding the various codes of live we live… 

In my view:

The Taxi Driver

Happenstances around us, make us susceptible to doubt and we often end up stereotyping people. But every person isn’t as we perceive him to be. This story highlights the same. It is an experience a woman has with a taxi driver, and a lesson she learns. An affable concept that it has, it proceeds well to attract readers; reminds me of an advertisement going on television these days. 

A Rain Kissed Tuesday

Lovers come closer and then they are dragged apart by some conservative mindsets. This story is an acquitted tale of two who fall in love unknowingly and then when they’re sure of it and about to endorse, something unwanted happens. Yet, will they stay together or will things shatter. Read to find more. 

K.N.Laxman

Certain conversations and folks have something incomprehensible, which leaves an indelible mark on us. We do what we can to satisfy our quest to know the deeper meaning of it, but get it indirectly, nonetheless. Here’s a story of a one such person and an abrupt and unfathomable conversation. 

Good You Met Me.

A clear conversation, an interaction clears misunderstandings. It helps us discover mutual interests, likes and dislikes and many more. A conversation is the best key to explore an entire personality. This story is also about a to-be-couple and their interaction. A good read with subtle narration. 

Switch It On

Many-a-times we misjudge people. We wrongly consider people and their suggestions, though their authentic intention is nothing but for our benefits. This story stands in conveying the same to readers. Well, this extremely short tale has deeper things to tell. 

Mistake

One realizes the seriousness of a situation only when in it. Until then reactions and emotion of others in that situation, look weird and strange. This story is about two friends who come in a situation one by one and realize what they have to. 

Two States

The story ends abruptly and its difficult to comprehend what the author wanted to convey exactly. It has characters, but it is vague and imprecise. 

That Shy Boy

Shyness exists until one doesn’t try to get out of it or kick it away. It prevents one from doing or saying those things which one wishes to, from the heart. But as soon as one overcomes this timidity, doors of opportunity open up for him. The story has a good start, but ends subtly and brusquely. 

The Train

This story is about two individuals who meet in a train and a beginning of a new relationship during the journey. This a well-written story and the author has expressed things pretty nicely. The narrative is good and strong enough to hold readers’ attention. Good one! 

That Mystery Girl

This story is about a girl who befriends a boy during a shoot and then comes over to stay at his place, along with his friends. She mingles up with them pretty well and then something nasty happens with her. The story starts on an interesting note and the word mystery from the title hooks up readers only to be left disappointed. 

The cover of the book is well-designed and the title is captivating. The book posses stories on life and the lessons it teaches one, with deeper insights. The concepts aren’t really fresh, but yes, the sparkling effect of the stories keep readers hooked to them. 

But somehow, the book fails to hold one for a longer time as the stories become dull and extremely lackluster. The plot, characters and the narratives as a whole don’t have that charisma to keep one stick to the book. Also, those usual concepts and consistent notions are not promising enough. Some stories start well, but move ahead only to be tickled, while some start on an unnerving note but proceed to end perfectly. The stories are all in haste and lack most of the essentials. Grammatical errors add up to these flaws. 

The author should have extended stories to make them factual and explicit. The messages put-forward are good, the idea of writing them is fine, but these don't appeal if the narrative is lackadaisical and uninviting. The narratives deserve a thorough contemplation. The stories need to be explicit and not abrupt. They genuinely require vigor and allure to appeal readers. 

Having got very little to praise about the book, I am rating it with 2/5. 

Note: A review copy of the book was provided by the publisher.