Guzaarish’s debut novel Twisted Knot has very nice cover suggesting hints of darkness and suspense. However, the story actually is romantic drama.
Anayra, who used to be chubby but later slimmed up, was married in a runaway bride fashion that seemed to be taken right out of the screenplay of a Hindi TV serials. Once you resign to the suspension of disbelief that set up the marriage, you start to get to know the male protagonists.
There’s the younger Ahaan, a college bully with a heart of gold, and older Aryan, the horrible boss with a heart of gold. Anayra’a connection with both brothers and the ping pong of proximity and distance make most of the story. The book is narrated in the POVs of these three characters, but there is hardly any difference between Aryan and Ahaan. Two brother’s having similarities is not unnatural, of course. Their voices seem too similar in the narration, making it really difficult for the reader to root for Anayra’s choices. Her choices seem to come from the physical presence and absence of the characters rather than any personality traits or actual connection.
All things remaining the same, if Anayra were to spend more time with one rather than the other, she would have made a different choice in the end.
The Hindi serial type melodramatic vibe sustains throughout the book, except the occasional allusion to sex and the one actual sex scene. The latter wasn’t very rousing, in my opinion, after so long tease.
Using the word fracture so loosely kind of triggered me, and so did some other events / descriptions that didn’t make sense from the biological perspective.
There’s a revelation of a character towards the end, which I didn’t find added any more depth to the story. This was perhaps added to build up for the sequel Toxic Love which I don’t feel inclined to explore, as it stands.
Overall, this book could have been crisper with less of melodrama and more of compelling internal conflict. This book is best for those who love ‘will they, won’t they’ plots where the people never speak what they think.
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