A novel by Abhinav Goel
Published by: Blackspine Publishing Pvt. Lt, New Delhi
Price: 295
Reviewed by: Dr. Mohammad Aleem ( Chief News Editor- ICN Group)
Hundreds of novels in English come every year in India. Especially, those people who are not directly attached with this profession, have plunged themselves in this newfound creative arena. For some, it is just pleasure to explore himself or herself through the words, ideas and wisdom, but for some, it has become a serious profession.
Abhinav Goel is a young writer who has penned his first novel, The Mask Diaries, to explore his spiritual bend of mind. He is basically a chartered accountant and a banker. But his interest in writing is so immense that he keeps writing blogs and articles from time to time. And his urge to write and express his feelings instigated him to write a complete novel.
What prompted him to write this novel can be easily understood by his own words. He writes in his preface of the book, “I believe, we all wear masks. People around us know more about our masks than they know of us and yet, there are some, who have patience, compassion and love to look beyond those masks and touch our soul.”
This novel is a serious attempt to unravel the masks people wear around his or her personality. The story is quite complex and multilayered. It starts with the journey of the main character, Soharab, an enigmatic and mysterious character. He has a troubled childhood.
His father is a successful architect and economically quite well-off. But he might be a success in his profession, but a failure in his own family. He is unable to keep his family happy. It hits hard not only to his wife, but his only son also, who is a recluse and introvert. Sohrab’s ill-fated mother suffers depression and oppression, and finally, succumbs to it prematurely.
It impacts hard on young Sohrab, who is a teenager at that time of his mother’s death. His father has little remorse what he had done with his own wife. And it not only makes sad to young, Sohrab, but sets off him to become a kind of rebellious. He never finds his father a caring and compassionate personality.
After his mother’s sad demise, a maid, Rasalyn comes into his life, who, looks after him as a loving sister and mother. She gets employed by his father to look after him. That young lady does her work commendably well at the start of her job, but as time passes, she becomes physically involved with Sohrab’s father. Sohrab, in the meantime, had started liking her. It devastates Sohrab and runs away from his home.
He moves on a mysterious and uncharted path of life where he wears many hats and lives many lives. He becomes a magician and a mind reader, and finally, starts earning his livelihood through this profession only.
This novel is basically a religious, spiritual, experimental and psychological journey of the main protagonist. He battles between the good and evil, though, he looks get succumbed to the worldly charm and pleasure.
This novel is a compelling read, but heavily laden with the spiritual and philosophical thoughts.
