She Ekla Cholo Re is a short book written by Dr. Shayan Haq and Santosh Avvannavar. I got the copy through goodreads giveaway contest. This book has left a deep remark in my heart and has a whole lot to think about. Let us go in details :

Cover- Well, The cover of the book is simple and might not appeal to people since they are in habit of seeing stylish cover. But I could relate to the authors as they want to make it look simple and to the point.

Title- The title SHe Ekla Cholo Re is apt as She stands for a woman and Ekla Cholo Re is a bengali song which means If no one answers your call then go on your own way. This story revolves around the title and makes it impeccable.

Plot- The plot of the story is complicated written in a simple way. It is a story of Kusum who goes through trials and tribulations. The way Kusum struggles to find her own identity seems a roller coaster ride and the way the readers witness her follies, sorrows. She is being exploited and the way she is treated by her family could shock anyone. This is the story of her undying passion for life, her love and aspirations.

Characterization- Frankly speaking there are only two main characters who are present in the story while the others are part of main protagonist’s story. Kusum is a she male who comes across Dr. Rajendra Mukherjee on a highway. She takes lift from him and the journey of their life starts. They start discussing about things and slowly KUsum reveals her dark past and the struggles she went through. She is a complex character who is in search of her identity.

Whereas, Raj is a flat character who is a good listener and could feel Kusum’s sorrows . he ends up falling for her and is ready to accept her despite of her being a transgender. He respects her which makes him a hero in our eyes.

Through the story, we comes across Debu who happens to be Kusum’s lover. He is a round character who changes with change in time. His love is not pure and is biased. He is selfish and chooses his reputation and career. He abandons Kusum which brings a void in her life.

Style- The story is slow paced and it gives readers time to absorb the events. The best part is, it is a novelette which can be read in one go. The use of poetic and musical diction is an icing on the cake. The authors have used impersonal descriptions which raise appraisal. Furthermore, the dialogues are powerful and the conversational style of writing takes away my heart. This book leaves a very important message in our minds : No matter what a person is, one should be respected.

Availability – https://www.amazon.in/SHE-Ekla-Cholo-Santosh-Avvannavar-ebook/dp/B016AHDQES

https://www.amazon.com/SHE-Ekla-Cholo-Santosh-Avvannavar-ebook/dp/B016AHDQES#navbar

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27112493-she

About the Authors

 

Santosh Avvannavar: Santosh started his career as a consultant and Soft Skills Trainer. After his college education from NITK, Surathkal, he worked as a researcher at University of Eindhoven, University of Twente, and Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He was also the Placement President while working at IISC, Bangalore. He has over twenty-five publications of mostly research documents in national and international journals. He has also authored sixteen conference papers and regularly written articles for a national and worldwide daily paper. He also works as an advisor for different organisations.

He also dabbles in fiction writing and is the author of Adhuri Prem Kahaniya; Dear Wife, Your Husband is not a Superhero, Second Heart and Get a Job WITHOUT an Interview; Be A B.A.; Surrogate Author; Title is Untitled; Black, Grey and White; The Departing Point; God’s Table and Umbilical Cord.

He likes to devote his personal time in writing for a website, namely the Amrita Foundation for HRD (www.amritafoundation.wordpress.com). He has conducted seminars and training sessions for more than 45,000 people in India and abroad over the last seven years.

Dr. Shyan HAq- Shyan is a medical doctor and cosmetologist by profession working at Bijapur, KArnataka. He is born at Gaya, Bihar and spent his quality time at West Bengal and BIhar before he moved for higher education. In his free time he loves to drive, read, watch and discuss on movies, and a gadget freak.