An Honest (Love) Story

Book: It's All In The Planets

Author: Preeti Shenoy

Publisher: Westland

A girl meets guy, they gel well, become friends, like each other's company and guess what they are struggling with their respective relationships... making genuine efforts to make it work.

So what happens next? They realise that the two of them are compatible and fall in love with each other and get married, right??? (At least that is what I had expected from).

Well I will keep you guessing whether they get into a relationship or not, because there's a lot more to the story than this.

This story which revolves around Nidhi and Aniket (Ani) is a simple tale that today's generation can connect with; needless to say, many of us must have faced it as well. The two protagonists meet over a journey and develop a close friendship. They help each other with solving their problems. The faith, trust and care that their relationship reflects, is something we all crave for.

Couple of things I cannot do without mentioning:

With the author - Preeti Shenoy

1.) Tara - She is Nidhi’s step-mom but more like a friend or a close confidante. The bond these two ladies share is amazingly described; they do not harbour any hard feelings, or any form of hatred. Their connection and conversation is beautiful to read something like this. We do want somebody like Tara in our lives, who can help us with

2.) Towards the end of the story, Aniket's father takes his stand in support of his son and Nidhi which is rather surprising, considering his orthodox mind-set and his opinion of Nidhi

Overall it is a pleasant read.

What I really love about Preeti's stories is that though extremely simple in nature, readers can actually connect with the characters. Do not be surprised if you find a protagonist as similar as you are. She probably picks up real life people, adds some masala to it and defines her characters of the story. Guess that makes it ‘Our’ story!

My rating: 3.5 stars.

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You Hired Smart Talent. But Are You Training Them Right?

Every year, organizations hire bright interns and freshers from top institutes. They come in with promise, potential, and the right intent. But somewhere between onboarding and execution, something quietly breaks. Not because they lack capability. But because they’re not really trained, properly. In many workplaces, especially in fast-paced functions like communications, freshers are given tasks, targets, and timelines, but not the depth required to execute them well. Take something as simple as media outreach.

Heart Lamp: Stories Too Familiar, Yet Still Unheard

My latest read (a bit delayed, but never mind), winner of the 2025 Booker Prize , Heart Lamp is a collection of selected stories by Banu Mustaq , translated by Deepa Bhasthi , originally written in Kannada between 1990 and 2023. As promised, it shines a light on the everyday struggles of Muslim women, focusing on gender inequality, patriarchy, oppression, domestic violence, and more. Now, is it worth a Booker Prize? Honestly, I’m not the best person to comment on that. But here’s what I felt—many of these stories felt familiar, maybe even too familiar, if you’ve grown up in India. Tales of patriarchy, domestic abuse, women belittling women… we have all seen or heard these around us. So, what makes Heart Lamp special?

A(NU) Thought

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