I was informed by my mother that we were invited to a book release event on 24th October by her college time friend and a writer by profession, Minakshi Chaudhary. I was happy about the release of another book of hers and was more than curious to know what was in store this time.

I went to the book release event in Simla. It wasn’t that I had to go but rather I wanted to go and wanted to know about the book. I was late for the event, but I got to meet the author and had a little chat with her. I picked up one book from a pile of books on the table, where she was signing the books for her fans/readers. I read the back cover and got to know that it was about her face-off with being diagnosed with cancer and fight there after. I bought 2 copies of the book, one for myself and the other for my friend. Afterwards I congratulated her for the book and bid her adieu.

I then went to Qilaa, my favorite cafe in Simla to have some food. As I was sitting there I pulled the book out of my bag and started checking it out. A few minutes later, without even realizing it I was reading it and was completely engrossed in it. Food wasn’t the priority anymore.

The book is about her fight against cancer from day 1… no not day 1, from day 0 in fact. It makes you feel as if all the things that you are reading are being told to you by the author in person. The reader may sometime even feel as if he/she is going through a personal diary of a woman who is fighting against cancer. The author describes from the very moment when she casually ends up in a clinic just because her friend forced her to go for a routine check up. The book holds you easily as it is written with absolute simplicity and truthfulness. The book not only shows her thoughts but also everybody who are related/attached to her in one way or the other. It lets you know about every tiny effort they made to fight it and eradicate the unwanted and the harmful. The book may even prove a guide to some people as how to react to the situation and how to plan and act accordingly (both physically and emotionally) in future when you or your known is affected by the trauma of the diagnosis. The book is full of delicate emotions, which come in small packets every now and then on almost every page. It defines what a husband is, what parents are, what siblings are, what a teacher is, what friends are and what doctors are.

Some of you who are reading this would think that the book would have the usual cliche story, i.e. the diagnosis, the shock, the depression, the fighting spirit, the victory. To them I want to say one thing, “No journey is the same, even if you travel the same patch of mountains a 100 times.”

To buy this book CLICK HERE.

To check out her previously released books, CLICK HERE.