Forever and a Little More

Praneet Dabral’s novel, Forever and a Little More is a romance which should not be misunderstood with the typical 21st-century connotation of a romance. The romance which is there in the book is serene and composed… there is a touch of comforting air to the novel which lets the readers enjoy the story with the emotional outburst at the moments. As a reader, let me say this, I will rate this romance better than the romance written by IITians because they, in fact, don’t know, what is a romance in the truest sense.

Forever and a Little More is a story which mainly features two characters – Jessica Jones and Tanish Kainthola. These two belong to a small town in the North-East of India – Snowdon. The name of the town is taken from the original name, Snowdon, Wales. The romance begins with a rainy evening which leads to several romantic moments and the hesitation in the hearts of both – the lover and the beloved. Tanish musters his strength at several occasions but finds himself unable to utter the words of truth… Jessica, on the other hand, just lets the moments pass…

The portrayal of Tanish is of a typical Indian youth who lives for his ambition and love is also important for him. Jessica, who is a foreign educated girl, is also a typical Indian girl whose dream is to live a life full of love and happiness. The couple could have made a perfect pair if only Tanish could say those magical words and ask for the love of Jessica… However, the fate had something else in the store for them… events take turns rapidly and Jessica suffers a tragedy. On a short notice, which reaches Tanish much after, She leaves Snowdon with her father. Tanish, who is about to leave for Mumbai, sheds the tears of remorse for his hesitation and loss… he settles in Mumbai and forgets about Jessica… marries Neelakshi and leads a life of his ambition and no love.

The deja-vu touches his heart only when he returns to his hometown for helping his friend Hreehan in the final settlement. He gets the past in front of him and becomes almost the same guy (even after three decades) who was there when Jessica went away… what happens next? This is something the readers will best find out after reading the novel by themselves. I will not spoil their reading pleasure by adding my comments on the conclusion.

To me, the novel is the best read for the young people as well as the aged ones. Other than romance, which is the soul of this novel, the call of nature and a touch of Nativity are other messages which the novel delivers. The silent life following your ambitious dreams and a life where you have your ‘owns’ around you are two different things and Praneet Dabral’s novel Forever and a Little More portrays that difference so well…

This will be a perfect weekend read, guys! You will surely love the diary which opens the gates to a different world. Go for it now!

Review by – Amit Mishra