The story of a suicide: A review

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The Story of a suicide

By Sriram Ayer

Reviewed by Dr. Amit Prakash (doc2poet)

               This book is set in a college campus that I am sure most people can easily relate to but this story is much beyond that. I have lived in hostels and been in clinical practice for more than 8 years but this novel manages to show the unexplored sides of the coin of emotional turmoil. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration if I say that after reading this novel, you will realize that the coin is actually a ball with more than two sides to it. This novel portrays a frangible yet intricate plight with respect and solicitude without losing the plot. You can read the complete story here @ http://www.storyofasuicide.com/ .

           This is not exactly just a novel but a multidimensional project aimed at a higher cause. This project aims to connect with young people and help them come out with their struggles so as to help them cope with the pressures and duress. Sriram Ayer, the creator and the author of this novel is an esteemed writer and a social entrepreneur who has won numerous awards for is noble endeavors. He is also the founder of NalandaWay Foundation which has been working with children from the most exploitative situations in India for more than 10 years. This organisation helps these children in learning basic and creative life-skills, building self-confidence and succeeding in schools. 

Storytelling and writing- The story is a gripping tale of four people who are trying to fit in their own lives and looking for a direction and a ray of hope. It is interesting how the author manages to knit them together to create a beautiful honeycomb effect maintaining the clarity in the plot while it thickens. The story is short and crisp which is divided into chapters in a felicitous way to reveal only enough to move the plot further yet maintaining the suspense and urge to flip through those pages to unfold the mystery. The writing is compelling and fast paced which makes it apt for an overnight read. If you are too busy to accommodate a novel in your frantic lives, even then you can fit this one in.

“You seem very worried Caesar, have you sinned too many?"

              I absolutely loved how the confrontation of Draupadi and Caesar was staged in the story without affecting the plot and yes, their conversation was spot on. 

The Characters- The story revolves around four main characters, a brilliant boy with a traumatic childhood who somehow managed to make it to the college but couldn’t get past the alien language ‘English’ to fulfill his mother’s dreams, a young boy who suffered silently at the hands of his uncle because no one understood or believed him and now he is struggling to find his own sexual identity, a beautiful confident girl who is misunderstood more often than she is loved and a geek who loses his cool and turns dark. Each character is so real that you can relate to them almost instantly. I personally felt sad for ‘Hari’ who lost his childhood to fear and lust and was betrayed by destiny itself when everyone failed to understand his feelings, including even his love and his family. 

The Illustrations- The beautiful and vibrant illustrations actually bring this story to life. They sort of add the much needed color to this otherwise darker tale which works exceptionally well to create a balance. Ghana, the illustrator is the CEO of her design studio ‘The Yellow House’ and also the co founder of ‘ArtCompaassion’ - an art based initiative supporting social development. She has done a great job here.

Added bonuses- If you already love this initiative, there’s more to it. There’s also an audio book option for the earphone generation riding the metros. It is a brilliant step to maximize the readership. Each chapter has a How do I? set of questions to help out the youth and you can submit your own stories too. And the promotional video is bang on. 

The team- Kudos to the whole teams to have put their heart and soul in this project. Well done guys. You can meet them all here @ http://www.storyofasuicide.com/about.html .

The Verdict- It is a must read for everyone and I am sure you will find something that you will absolutely love to have come across. 

" मुक़म्मल  जहाँ  की  तलाश  में, फिरते  रहे  मारे-मारे , 

कैसे  मिले  जो  खोया  ही  नहीं, हर  पल  पास  है  हमारे , 

आँखें  बंद  करने  की  देरी  है, जी  उठेंगे  ये  दिलकश  नज़ारे, 

के  लड़खड़ाते  कदम  राह  ढूंड  ही  लेंगे, 

कभी  यादों  की  भीड़  में...कभी  तनहाई  के  सहारे...|| "

                                                                                                   -doc2poet

You may read the online novel or hear it out on audio book but don’t forget to share it. Just be positive and visit here for all that you need 

 http://www.storyofasuicide.com/ :-)