Writing about romance is an easy task . But weaving a romantic story that makes  you smile , brightens up your mind , thrills you and sometimes gives you a shiver down your spine is definitely a titanic task . That Autumn in  Awadh  by Rachna Singh is a love story to it’s very core and  is sure to evoke a myriad of feelings in the mind of the reader , some sweet , some sour and a few bitter ones .

It’s the story of Samar Solanki and Sara Shergill , the former one hailing from an  über conservative Rajput family while the latter belongs to a typical Christian community . They meet each other at their workplace , TELCO ,  at Lucknow and it becomes a love at first sight for Samar . Sara , initially tries to overcome the surge of feelings which she experiences while confronting Samar  every time but later realizes her love for Samar and fails to resist herself any more. Thus their story begins . Though it sounds like a typical ‘ boy meets girl ‘ type of stuff but I’ll give full credit to the author for keeping me hooked till the end.

Both Samar and Sara are happened to be a staying away from their families and so their love story blooms to the fullest with no hindrance from any side. Problems creeps into when Sara starts contemplating about their marriage . Samar knows his family well and is also aware of the fact that his family will never accept a Christian girl as their daughter-in-law . Sara’s family too, gets shocked knowing their daughter’s attachment with a Hindu ,Rajput boy and quickly it becomes crystal clear to them that they will probably never get the opportunity to be joined by the holy wed-lock in a simple , traditional way. Getting married appears to be a figment for them .

They concoct a clandestine plan to get married and all hell breaks loose when Samar’s family becomes aware of that. Will they ever be able to fight against all odds ? Do their mutual love and trust give them the strength to overcome  the obstacles of cast, creed and religion ? The book unfolds the answers and subsequently takes the reader to a virtual tour in places like Lucknow and Allahabad .

Rachna Singh has keen eyes to pick even the minute details when it comes to description , be it of a place or a character. The minor characters like Debonair Debu , Tony bhaiyya , Ramya  have come alive with all their idiosyncrasies through her pen. Her delineation of these and some other characters are impeccable and  I could actually visualize them while reading the book. Of the two protagonists I’ll put Sara Shergill first for her indomitable spirit and courage which were very much needed for the story-line to achieve that desirable end. Samar’s character , on the other hand ,is inconsistent . Sometimes he appears to be a strong-willed man and the next moment he succumbs to the pressure .

The plot , as I’ve already stated , is a simple one and one may find it similar to some  90’s  hit Bollywood romantic movies . It’s the lucidity and flamboyance  of the language that keep the reader attached to the story. I find her language a delight . Occasional sprinkle of humour , wit and sarcasm come as a relief to deviate the reader to a lighter mood .

The author has clearly stated in the ” Acknowledgment “  section that the story is actually based on her own life events and most of the incidents described are real. The way the Rajput community wages a war against the lovers and doesn’t hesitate to come up with worst possible chicanery , sorry to say , I don’t find them as ” quirky little things ” .
Last but not the least the climax comes too quickly . I would be happier if some more time was spent to reach the end . However , a good story to come up with over a cup of coffee on a raining afternoon or evening . I would like to recommend it for all those readers who are fond of romantic stories with a modicum of thrill in it .

From my side it’s 3.5 /5

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About The Author

Rachna Singh writes in the areas of humour, love, and organizational development. She believes in living in the moment, cherishing life as it comes, and reaping the most of every moment.
Born and schooled in Allahabad, Rachna studied at St. Mary’s Convent and, subsequently, at the University of Allahabad. She inherits her wicked humor from her father, Ajit Thakurdas, and her love for writing from her mother, Kamalini Thakurdas, who writes in poetry and prose in Hindi.
Rachna has worked in the area of Learning and Organizational Development for almost two decades. She has worked at Tata Motors, Infosys, Spice Telecom and Dell.
Married to Alok, alumni, IT-BHU(Meta, ’93), and IIM-Lucknow(’98), Rachna has two children, Aisha and Prithviraj.
Rachna’s debut novel is ” Dating , Diapers and Denial ” followed by “Nupital Knots” . ” That Autum in Awadh is her third novel.

The author plans to continue writing, across genres, giving her readers something new to relish, each time.

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