The benefit of reading Harshali Singh’s first two books of the Haveli Series is that I opened the third book, A Paradox of Dreams, assured of pleasurable indulgence for the next few hours. However, a few pages into this tale made me sit up. This narrative was different from her earlier renditions of women discovering themselves, finding courage to either stand up to injustice or reveal inner demons. Aruna and Bhavya’s stories in the earlier Haveli books were certainly absorbing. But Charu’s tale compelled me to reflect. After I turned the last page, I seriously asked myself, is it possible that fragility can be an effective weapon?
In her earlier books, the author had presented the raconteur, the Anwar Haveli who tells stories of the large family that sprawled across its rooms. While one gets to know quite intimately the parents, the only son, another father-figure and five of the six sisters, somehow the third sister, Charu, had always remained in the shadows. All I knew was that she had lost her sight as a child and lived in faraway Surat with her grandmother. My curiosity to know more about her had been mounting ever since Singh’s third Haveli book had been announced. Let’s say A Paradox of Dreams has whetted my interest and more.
Harshali Singh’s sensitive portrayal of a sightless woman whose disability is actually her strength is exceptional. It is not that Charu is a superwoman. Her revelation of self-doubts is very realistic. However, her intrinsic strengths built over years of managing her disability are exposed as she responds to tough situations. She is the proverbial thin but unbreakable reed in the storm, but the author’s contextual depiction of this layered character is flawless in its consistent logic. The other character sketches are just as human, like that of the Swamiji, whose traits truly match the criminal godmen found in India today.
A Paradox of Dreams also excels in its multi-layered plotlines. A racy thriller builds suspense, perfectly follows investigation steps, allows for distractors including multiple suspects finally comes to a plausible conclusion. Alongside runs a romance with past love-life intrusions and of course, there is the paradox revealed through esoteric dreams. To say the least, these multiple plots promise to engage readers at every level.
Harshali Singh has always possessed an accomplished repertoire of syntax and language. However, in this book, she seems to have surpassed herself. I discovered quite a few gems of idiomatic expressions. Here are a couple: ‘…feeling the residual ache of Ravi’s thoughts in her bones’, and ‘the hum of streetlights’. With astute wordplays, Singh explores the abstract in physical manifestations.
Very candidly, I recommend A Paradox of Dreams for all those who are seeking a fusion of mystery and mystic rendered by Harshali Singh through her seasoned storytelling. Just go ahead and pick it up while I wait eagerly for the next Haveli book.
Buying link:
https://www.amazon.in/Paradox-Dreams-Paperback-Singh-Harshali/dp/9391800165
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