Title : Once Upon the Tracks of Mumbai
Author : Rishi Vohra
What if you’re not offered with the treatment, other people of your age and society is offered with.”Once Upon the Tracks of Mumbai”,debut fiction book of Rishi Vohra, covers the story of the guy called Babloo whose story of live traverses somewhat different nodes.
As the back cover says-‘
“Autistic. Schizophrenic. Psychotic…”
“They” use these words to describe Babloo – the doctors, his family, his teachers everyone…
except Vandana. She treats him the way he wants the world to see him.
Mumbai… the city that defines his ultimate desires. Will it allow him the love and normalcy
he so craves?
Vandana… yearns for a soul mate to rescue her from the confines of the Railway Colony they all
live in. Is she looking in the right place? Rail Man… a fearless, real-life hero who succeeds in doing all that Babloo secretly wishes to do… is Babloo his inspiration or… is it the other way around?
A random twist of fate on Mumbai’s endless, serpent-like, jangling local train tracks ties all
these characters together in a complex weave of love, heartbreak, and courage.
Babloo draws the reader into his fascinating, heart-rending journey through the twisted, choked lanes of Mumbai, into an open space where he can finally exhale, be born again.’
In the beginning protagonist describes about his background and the environment he used to live in and I found it way descriptive,it could be done in a precise manner also.Initially I found the description useless and found it is something which is not needed to be in the story.Later,I get used to it and found it useful as protagonist narrates minute-minute details.As I’ve gone through the title before reading the book, I was eagerly waiting for the story to take a turn and serves the twist it holds.
Undoubtedly, the characterization of the protagonist is done in a lively and friendly manner, as if the character really does exist.I like the way story has been moulded and knitted and while reaching to the end of the story, you would be left with a good feeling.
A good flow has been maintained throughout.Simple language is used, but if you’r a novice,you may feel some bumps,otherwise it is easy to go with this one.At some point I couldn’t completely relate with the story,it seems more like a story that seems good only in books and screens,but is healthy and entertaining.One more good point about the book is – a very good ambience and charm it creates as the way it proceeds ahead.
About the downfalls of the book-I found the pacing of the story very-slow, if it would speed up a bit, it would create a different spell.Many such episodes have been included in the story, which I think if not amalgamated wouldn’t make much difference.
I would recommend this book to those readers who love to go through such stories which are rooted in depth and are well-nourished.Altogether,I also enjoyed this journey.
Rating: 3.7/5
Reviewer : Shweta Kesari