Sonal Singh On Sonal's Table
‘Till fate do us part’ by Smita Das Jain is a sensitive portrayal of human relationships put on trial by life. The book is a fast-paced drama that unfolds in the twin settings of a hospital and the protagonist’s home. Both the settings bring the protagonist face to face with new challenges, simmering emotions and untold complexities.
Others have described this book as a fast read, but I took my time to read it. That was solely because I wanted to take the time to imbibe the pain and psychological trauma that form the locus of the book. That’s the central theme too–resilience and endurance amid pain, trauma and heartbreak but leading to renewed love, hope and perhaps also eventual happiness.
What I found noteworthy:-
1. Characterization – Smita has limited the story to a few characters and has refrained from unnecessary, frivolous additions. That keeps the reader invested in the characters. You go through their emotions exactly like they do and as and when they unfold in the book. The characters are complex and flawed, an astute representation of real-life people.
2. Settings – Smita keeps the settings real and that makes them relatable, right from the descriptions of the hospital, to the home and other areas. The first few pages of the book captivated me with their uncanny realism. The X-ray scene of Samiksha was another one that knifed through my heart.
3. Language, editing, cover design – the simple flow of language makes for an unhindered reading experience. The editor edited the book well, and the cover design offers a sneak peek into the storyline.
4. Topics touched upon – Via this book, Smita gives us a peek into a differently abled special needs child’s life. She paints a raw, stark picture, and that is jolting. She takes us through a gamut of emotions as she touches upon societal revulsion, familial expectations (esp with parents and in-laws), professional challenges, work-life balance, a mother’s guilt, relationship complexities, etc. For me, these were the true highlight of the book and the sole reason I took my time to imbibe Smita’s words at a slower pace.
Things that left me yearning for more:-
There were certain things that left me yearning for more depth. I realize that publishers nowadays want a book to be a certain length only, so a writer is hard-pressed to deliver within the word count. That could be a reason that Smita could not devote more words to write about Gaurang-Vedika. I wanted their emotional arc to have a tad bit more space, just a few pages more. Gaurang’s emotional arc was more rapid than I expected.
All in all, this is a beautifully complex book about human relationships under test. I recommend it.
