Bending your way out!

A (sort of) book review for “ The Rule Breakers” written by Preeti Shenoy

Boom! Something huge explodes in our mind when that dreaded moment finally makes its entry. Before I elaborate here is a context:

There are certain people who spend their entire life faithfully adhering to the rules laid out to them by their family and the society. It becomes secondary to them whether they like or even respect what they are doing or not .This is because people find it convenient to live this way in a society that becomes indignant the minute a ’change’ is even considered.

On the other hand there are those who are polar opposites and their principle aim in life is to break all the rigid norms that are imposed upon them. Many a times, they do have a very valid point to propose but the sad reality is that they are often dismissed as “ rebels" whose sole purpose remains to blindly oppose all that is thrown on them.

The fun starts ( or maybe not) with this point in our life when suddenly our mind becomes blank(like how Japan was following the Hiroshima- Nagasaki explosion) and we become indecisive. I call it the crossroads situation where we become unsure of whether to follow the rules or not as we don't really know which option will help us reach our eureka moment. Don't worry. To pull you out of this mess, we have a special category of people, the one and only ‘ rule benders'.

Preeti Shenoy beautifully explores this very concept in her book. Veda is a twenty year old from Joshimath, a sleepy town situated at the foothills of the Himalayas and she is the main character in the plot. She is a very bright girl who aspires to become a professor and dreams of visiting the city. The only problem is that she unquestingly follows all that is expected out of her and this leads to a slew of events starting from a hurried marriage to having to hear constant jibes from her MIL and finally performing horrendously in her final exams that completely dismantle her life. This is when she learns her greatest lesson:

'Taking cue from a rainbow that bends gracefully with its seven colours in prominence, we also have to learn the significance of bending certain rules over the repercussions of breaking them.'

It is a light read filled with delightful moments. For instance the author in a very intricate

manner describes the sharp contrast in her life as she leaves Joshimath for Pune following her marriage. Another thing that keeps you hooked on to the book are the letters that she keeps writing to her bestie Suraj and her sister Vidya describing her daily life in detail as they prove to be her only lifeline. However the trump card is when she manages to give her life a redefinition by joining an NGO and making a change to the lives of hundreds of underprivileged children.

Set in the 20th century, The Rule Breakers is a book that will definitely bring a smile to your face and leave an indelible mark. The only flaw that I can really come up with is the ending which on the first read sounds a little abrupt. I feel the plot could have been elucidated a little further. Nevertheless Preeti makes up for this by showcasing the strong bond that Veda shares with her loved ones and how this makes her the woman she was born to be.

I know I am vain but I accept all your thanks graciously very wellin advance for recommending this book and give you something to look forward to for the next two days at least. All i want to tell you is to love the Veda within you and make sure that nothing stops her from living the life she wants!

I have always relied on quotes and the geniuses who came up with them to give my articles a perfect end. So here is one for this:

Bill Veeck wisely said" I try not to break rules but merely try to test their elasticity".