As Manav opened his eyes, he saw Madhu sitting beside him, trying to wake him up. Her body fragrance and her damp hair suggested she had taken a shower. Manav’s eyes struggled to fully open, still heavy with sleep. He looked towards the window, and darkness still lingered outside. Glancing at the clock, he realized it was twenty minutes past three in the night.
“What’s the matter, Madhu?”
“Get up, wash your face, and freshen up. I’m heading to make tea. Then we’ll go for a walk in the park.”
“It’s still nighttime, Madhu. It’s only three-twenty in the morning,” he checked the clock again.
“Nighttime? I’m already up and have taken a shower. I thought it was morning.”
CRITIQUES:
A 1950s-based love story told across a lifetime narrative, tainted by pain but which holds strong till the end.
– Deepti Sana
I felt that the author has brilliantly named the title.
– Vijaya
I commend the author for crafting a realistic image of a relationship which is far from a rosy picture.
– Koyalee G
Nikki –
‘Love is a verb’ is a tale of profound love. One thing I love about the book is the Indianness. Just like the aromatic smell of pakoras and tea, the Indian culture wafts in minutes into the book, creating a sense of refreshment.
The book encompasses the journey of Manav and Madhulika through their ups and downs. Their characters are well written and amicable. Their love is one that inspires people and one that people aspire towards. There was one scene towards the end that made me ponder for a while.
The author writes with a simple and straightforward style. All the characters are well written and are amicable. It is a realistic story and quite fast paced that I was able to complete it in two days. One thing I wish we had more of was the involvement of Aman and Rakhi in the later parts of the story.
While it was the cover that hooked me to the book, I’m glad I read this beautiful story.