Weaving dreams and eternal optimism: Cinder-ella

There is hope, there is light. And it isn't elsewhere. It's in our hearts. And minds.

I waited for two days to see whether this novel stays in my mind, before writing anything on it. It did, so I thought I should write.
You know the first thing I did after reading this? I went to the first page of the novel on kindle, and gave a search for the word 'secular'. And the search returned with zero results.
I am a fan of TN Seetharam's serials, though he doesn't do them anymore. What was it that made me wait for TN Seetharam's serials? It was the script /dialogue, and the story I was looking forward to. The twists and turns, political and legal thriller drama - different from other soap operas adhering to ready TRP formulae.
The satisfaction of watching a TNS serial is what I got when I finished reading Soumya Aji's Cinder-ella. When I started off, I didn't know what to expect. As I proceeded, it looked like a triangular love story, and the author's dedication of the book to Nirbhaya looked out of place. But it wasn't, as I later realised.
The reference to murders of an intellectual and a journalist brought back the haunted memories of the Gauri Lankesh murder that occurred recently, and not yet solved. And since the story is set in our own Bengaluru, it becomes all the more familiar and makes one want to read. The politicians featured look familiar. Kalasipalya, Goripalya, Cubbon Park, Vidhan Soudha.. All real locations and relatable situations. And the inescapable dilemma of left and right here too! And, the ubiquitous traffic jam too No novelist can afford to forget it if it is a novel set in Bengaluru... And, it's set in 2017 itself, not before or after, where people use Twitter, Facebook and Periscope! Notable Kannada and English literary works find mentions here in dialogues and descriptions.
At one point I was a little bored of the novel as I felt the fimly elements were dominating the plot, and probably it would be a triangular love story laced with romance and some crime drama.. But I held on to it as I was curious to find out what this political journalist had in her mind when she wrote it. Pure romance and love story isn't my kind of stuff, I look for something more. And I'm grateful to myself for holding on to the book, for it really had a serious political, social drama to offer, with a truly liberated central woman character, with nontraditional outlook.

Named after the financial capital of our sister country, this bakery in Hyderabad helps everyone irrespective of their caste and nationality, with nicely flavoured cookies 😉 To me, Karachi bakery is a great social unifier... I hope they don't rename it ever!

The solutions the story offers are interesting. Out of many, I liked the idea of Manjari-Sudugadavva dalit start up fund! (Is there a fund meant for such causes already?) And Sudugadavva - what a name!
As I said earlier, Soumya hasn't used the word 'secular' anywhere in the novel, though it hugely supports secular nature of our constitution and talks about food rights extensively, especially from economics perspective. It gives a new perspective on the businesses that liberate people from poverty and bring social equality. I hadn't thought about it in this light earlier, though I always felt good about Swiggy and Freshmenu and other food delivery services.
The novel is a tribute to the women power we see everyday but don't recognise. And only someone who still has the idealistic, socialistic dreams can write with such conviction about the issues that bother society every day. Anyone can write a romantic fairytale. But it takes a seasoned journalist who hasn't stopped dreaming of a better society, to write something like this.
The novel isn't without its flaws — it could have been tighter, without too much beating around the bush in the first half of the book, or without too much drama. Some loose ends could have been stitched better, to hold curiosity and quench it for the reader, in a rewarding manner. For example, I would have loved to know who was the LED scamster Or what the minister had done that only a 'smart activist' can find out! The typically 'filmy' depiction of some scenes was a bit too much for my taste, but it's just me.
Is it a literary masterpiece? No. Better proofing would have helped it make flawless. But we see proofing errors in most of Indian authors' novels. I had got irritated when I read Ravi Subramaniam's one crap novel, that had a loose plot where he wasn't sure what should be highlighted, and ended up messing up the entire story. I had then vowed not to read any of his work anytime soon, and have stuck to it.
Were too many elements stuffed into one novel? Probably, but why not? There's no set rule on what a novel should be. Ultimately what matters is what the novel leaves in you when you reach the last page.

And in such books, written by those who dare to dream

It's a different kind of gripping read — especially if you are a new reader who wants interesting stuff to read, go for it! Ditch all Chethan Bhagats and Ravi Subramaniams of the world, and go for a Soumya Aji, you won't be disappointed. You will only get enriched by reading something like this!
I wish more journalists wrote novels, because books are forever. That's a way to dream and have it on record too! We need dreams to live on with hope, after all.