Book Review | What if Your Love is Perfect But Not Real?

Till one fine day on the streets of Delhi, Karno discovers the love of his life, a screaming victim of a bag-snatcher. One look at her face (attractive, despite being distorted by her screams) and he feels absolutely certain that shes the one who can fill the hole in his life: Karno had learnt to trust his heart in the thirty years he had spent keeping it in a cage. He knew it wouldnt lead him to someone who didnt love books.

That chance encounter leads to a sort of romance, and yes, Devaki is an avid reader too, whew, otherwise chasing the thief and retrieving her bag would have been a colossal waste of time and energy. Karno is heavily invested in the relationship, but Devaki is non-committal. Yet, they do almost every romantic thing young lovers do. Life is good, till one morning the doorbell rings. An officious-looking gentleman is there to take Devaki away, and a stunned Karno discovers that she is not who she claims to be.

Karno is devastated but determined to find Devaki again. He searches his mind for things she said, hoping to find clues — a daunting task because she had lied like a seasoned politician. Fortunately, he manages to trace an old friend and an ex-lover — unfortunately, they are as clueless about her whereabouts as he is. Yet Karno persists, she means that much to him.

What starts out as a love story with witty banter segues into the bizarre (and creepy) world of science fiction. Technology is moving so rapidly, what you thought was impossible yesterday is here today. For terribly lonely people like Karno, dating apps are passé, and new yet controversial and perhaps unethical ways to find partners are on the rise. While the plot is not as spine-chilling as Kazuo Ishiguros Never Let Me Go, its still rather disturbing, and you do wonder if creators of technology have a moral compass at all.

Though the subject matter is dark, Lonely People Meet is a lively read from start to finish. Most of the characters are interesting and slightly eccentric, and you can tell that the author, Sayantan Ghosh, had great fun writing it, what with digs at intellectual pretensions, and other tongue-in-cheek jibes. A great debut novel, one that deserves to feature in the top ten of your must read list.

By Sayantan Ghosh

Bloomsbury India

pp. 214; Rs 399