12

At a time when ‘coming of age’ is a term much overused, K Sridhar verbalizes coming of age as it happens- in the mind. Set in Bombay of the eighties, the book revolves around three twenty-something year olds- Prahlad, Laila and Ananya who are coming to grips with their changing lives and with themselves.

This books makes us revisit college days as the trio meet over tea and heatedly discuss matters of philosophy. What is as poignant is how their sure-footedness with philosophy disappears as they begin to apply to their own lives...and loves. The relationship between the trio becomes messy when Prahlad realises he is in love with Laila, and when Laila is attracted to the mysterious and profoundly intelligent new entrant of their lives- Dorai.

The book brings forth tenets of Vedanta and much from the canon of Indian philosophy (being unacquainted with much of Western philosophy, I can’t say much about its presence in the book). Destiny, the meaning of life, and meaning of love are questions that have cropped up in every individual’s head, and the three protagonists voice them out with great deliberation. Philosophy and spirituality underpin this book at every level, and give the book its essence and defining quality.

The importance of Bombay in the book cannot be understated. The author draws a detailed portrait of lives in the city that Mumbaikars will latch on to with relish. Surely a doff of the hat to the city, is this. As their stories unravel, the book brings the question...just how much do our choices change our destiny, as opposed to carrying us along the path laid out for us? ‘Twice Written’ throws out all these questions, and keeps you riveted as the protagonists, and consequently, we, find answers that we might not always understand. Give this book a read, it’s one you will relate to and give you something to think about.