I’ll
be honest, I judged this book by its cover. I couldn't stop looking at how the London Bridge
was reflected in the waters of
the Hooghly under the Howrah Bridge
If
like me, you've been a letter writer you’ll love this book and it is sad how
the art of letter writing has pretty much disappeared, given our preference for other (quicker) forms of communication like e-mails, phone calls and text
messages. But then they all lack the beauty and intimacy of a hand written
letter. The Other Side of the Table by Madhumita Mukherjee is a beautifully
haunting book in the form of letters between two friends- Abhi, who is training
to be a neurosurgeon in London and Uma, who is
just entering the world of medicine in Calcutta
The
letters exchanged between Abhi and Uma chronicle the lives of two friends
living world’s apart and gives you a peek into their desires and ambitions. Abhi is older than
Uma and is already an established surgeon and Uma, who has just entered medical
college is a keen student and is determined to shine. Abhi acts as Uma’s sounding board, advising
her, guiding her and challenging her. Through the book we see Uma mature from a
girl to a woman and Abhi enter a more serious and somber stage of his life.
The
correspondence between Abhi and Uma, which spans ten years, gives us a picture of
their friendship, their frankness and how vocal and comfortable they are with each other, taking
advice from each other on matters pertaining to life, their careers, relationships, marriage,
love and sex.
As
the book progresses, one sees Abhi and Uma go through defining moments in their
lives; marriage, difficult relationships, heartbreak, challenges at the
workplace and a critical illness. What I also loved was how we see Uma evolve
from a headstrong and stubborn girl to a woman who has tasted heartbreak and
defeat and taken it in her stride and moved on and how Abhi, emerges from being
a carefree and breezy young man to someone with deeper realizations about life
and his purpose and values.
This is a book which doesn't leave you even
after you've turned the last page and whose characters you begin to miss
because they'd begun to feel like friends. Heartbreaking, yet heart-warming, a
beautifully told story; highly recommended.
(This is a book review requested by the publisher)
