The Awasthis of Aamnagri have come. And they are meeting people. From different backgrounds, in different places and with different tastes.
One such wonderful young man who encountered The Awasthis is Deepan Maitra. He describes himself as:
My name is Deepan and I am a sophomore pursuing Computer Science at IIT Ropar. I am a creativity enthusiast who loves creating and learning new things. A reader and a blogger, I regularly update my opinions on bookish stuff through my social media handles. Apart from that, I occasionally sing, paint and do digital art. I blog at: https://deepansbookshelf.wordpress.com/
When he first mentioned that he would be reviewing The Awasthis of Aamnagri, I was apprehensive. After all, I was a 40+ writer writing about an age and era when young people like Deepan were not even born. I asked myself, Would he appreciate the story, the setting, the characters? Therefore, when I received this glowing review on Instagram, I was filled with childish delight. I had always claimed that The Awasthis of Aamnagri is a story that cuts across geography and time, that you could belong to any part of India, indeed the world, and you would still enjoy reading it. Deepan's review strengthened my claims. Read along to know what Deepan has to say about The Awasthis of Aamnagri:
‘The Awasthis of Aamnagri’ comes with an old age charm, a pinch of nostalgia and pulls us along memorabilia of childhood, family, joint living and days gone by. It doesn’t take us long to appreciate how effortlessly the stories have a vintage feel to them, and how they carry a smell of the past.
The Awasthis are a family full of chirpiness, quirk and eventfulness. Their days are marked by ordinary happenings becoming memorable within the blink of an eye—gliding between fun, frolic and hubbub. This book presents itself through a collection of stories, each rooting itself around the Awasthis and their way of leading life. There is an immense touch of joint living, of families bound together by harmony and tradition; firmly affirming the belief that the people in the house would never let a day go dull.
The main element of the book is an acute and often humourous family drama, which paves the way for the many characters to play their roles amidst hubbub, excitement and vigour. The charming writing style soon takes us into a world of sepia tones and forgotten memories, making our hearts wrench with sweet feelings of homecoming.
‘Awasthis of Aamnagri’ stays true to the quote that ‘Home is where the heart is’. Truly enough, it makes us realize that there was a point in our lives when all this quintessential drama and gossip was what made our days imbibe colour and vibration. Putting to play some really fantastic simple elements of family mystery, superstitions, secret expeditions, troubles and predicaments—this book has made me go beyond a life cocooned into a nuclear family, over the top of walls sedimented with cement and through roads that lead the way home.
•••
You can also see the original review with the oh-so aesthetically placed flowers and fruit here: Deepan's Book Shelf or Deepan's Blog
It's a pity you couldn't get mangoes for the picture though, Deepan!
