“The
Lamentations of a sombre sky” is a novel by debut author Manan Kapoor. Doesn’t
seem like it, isn’t it? For such a heavy duty title, the cover strikes you so
hard that you have to have another look at it to know what it is all about. The
colour combinations, the effects, and the background image- everything suits
the title and the theme of the book. I would like to say this to the cover
designer that it is, off late, one of the most striking yet simple covers I have
encountered. Or will it sound that I am hallucinating or exaggerating if I say
that the cover feels even more beautiful at night? As I type this down, it is
night over here and my laptop is playing the track “Gar Firdaus ruhey zameen Ast, Haminastu... Haminastu” from the
recently released film “Fitoor” which
roughly translates to “If there is a
heaven on Earth, It’s here... It’s here”. I couldn’t have had a better mind
frame for writing about this book. I would not waste much time. Here is what
the blurb of the book says.
According
to the blurb- Kashmir 1991 In between the
insurgency and the exodus, Inayat finds solace in the company of Gul, a
Kashmiri Pundit, and Aaqib. She blooms under the eyes of her father, Maqbool-
an alcoholic poet, and her mother- Wahida, who is fraught with sanguinity. They
spend their days listening to The Doors in Gul’s backyard and attending
Shakes-Peer’s English lessons at the school. However, as they leave behind
their childhood, they realize that the future holds things for them that they
have never imagined. Inayat comes face to face with loss as bereavement engulfs
Kashmir. The echoing of the machine guns, the wails of her loved ones and the
silence that she is bequeathed with is all that is left. The Lamentations of a
Sombre Sky is the story of a skirmish with life and the perseverance in the
dark times.
When
I started reading the book, I was confused on what to expect. I did not know.
Did I expect Black? Or was it White? Or probably, Grey? But I have to give it
to the book that it is much more than what the colour palette could ever
justify. The book took a moment to fit in to the mind set I was in when I
started this book but when it did fit in, it was unputdownable. I don’t remember
having a moment where the book was kept aside and I was doing something else.
You can trust me on this, no matter what idea of the book you get from the
blurb of the book; you need to read the book to know what I am talking about or
else you would think that I am blabbering without any kind of reason. Almost
most of the ideas that you might have of the story or the characters from the
blurb would be broken once you get inside the book. At least it did with me.
I
should talk about the characters first. To begin with, I do not have any favourite
characters because the whole book gripped me. All the characters, though there
were not many were given equal and enough attention throughout the book. For me,
there was no character which wasn’t given the limelight that they deserved or
were given the limelight they didn’t deserve. The way the author has described
the characters and the clarity the author had on his characters, it was such a
pleasant sight to see. It has been a long time since a debut author stunned me
so much.
Coming
to the story, the story is truly the lamentations of a sombre sky. The way the
story progresses and the way the author takes the story forward makes it so
wonderful that there was this one time in the story (which, mind you, I do not
usually do) where I had to pause and read the author’s bio to see what the
author does. It has been a pleasure reading what Manan Kapoor has to write and
to say. I have to say that even being a debut author, his flow of writing is
commendable. I also have to give it to most new authors these days that it
feels awesome to see them attempting genres that don’t fit quintessentially in
the chick lit genre. This piece of fiction by Manan Kapoor is very touching and
it stays with you for a long time. It makes you smile and it makes you cry. It
makes you at peace and you still feel the turmoil- all at the same time.
If
I speak of the cons of the book then I have to force myself to think about it.
Shall I be true? I wanted more of Aaqib and Inayat moments and of course more
of Aaqib, Inayat and Gul moments. Keeping that aside, I did not want the book
to end but when the book ended, I remember hugging the book and re-reading a
poem from the book over and over again. Having said that, I’ll confess (with my
due apologies to the author) that I had clicked a picture of that particular
poem and had sent it to 2/3 of my friends who I knew would appreciate and they
loved it. All that said and done, for me, this book is 4.75 out of 5 and to sum
it all up, here are two lines of my favourite poem from the book-
“A pinch
of white- ecstasy, bliss and delight.
And the
dash of black, devouring every light...”
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