Since the author seems to target the new generation (as they say, the yuppie generation) with ‘Truly, Madly, Deeply’, his usage of Bollywood clichés and role playing may score well enough. The frequent use of quotations from poets and lines from much clichéd popular Bollywood songs was more of a prosaic move from the author, and it hurts the reader’s rhythm and flow at times. At times, his style suited the environment that has been created in the story, and at few other times, it felt out of the place. Faraaz shuttles expertly between both the classical and contemporary styles of writing, and in style he did that throughout the book. The starting few pages of the book were tough to go through, because, as a critical reader you may not always expect a book to start in a way so much unconventional and out of the way, covered in deep layers of melancholy and endless lament. But then again, the most striking part of this book was the author’s writing style. Writing: This book being the author’s first work, not everything was seemingly perfect. Seema misunderstood Rahul as a result, all the while situations being out of the two’s favours and often, been doctored with. What Rahul felt for Seema was genuinely from his heart, but the wavelength failed to reach Seema the way Rahul would have wanted it to. Faraaz has been successful to show the immaturity that hounds the young lovers. His writing is effortless, the words seemingly flowing out naturally from within. Things that actually happen in schools in initial years in college have been described with ease by the author. Rahul and Seema’s love in ‘Truly, Madly, Deeply’ has been perfectly portrayed in the line of reality.

The story is spreaded over two countries – the significant part in India and the less significant part in the city of Pennsylvania in the USA. Along with Rahul and Seema, Sahil also stands out by the virtue of his unconditional friendship and helping attitude towards Rahul during the latter’s difficult times. But as a reader, the character of ‘Sahil’ has also been touching in a way that can’t be restrained and obviously not given not-much-importance-to. ‘Truly, Madly, Deeply’ has two major protagonists, as the writer has tried to showcase throughout the book.

Faraaz has been successful in weaving a story rich in emotion and other matters of heart. It’s a story every teenager, every early adolescent youth will invariably connect with. ‘Truly, Madly, Deeply’ by Faraaz Kazi is truly, madly, deeply a story of love.

Truly, Madly, Deeply by Faraaz Kazi