India Was One

The first time Jai saw Kaahi, he fell hard.  But Indian relationships demand ritual and time.  Their families approve, and Jai and Kaahi wed in traditional Indian fashion.  Their life is predictable, until Jai accepts a job in the US, and now they must leave everything behind.  Living abroad is a new experience, but the lure of India is always there.  It is hard to live in a land where Indian language, culture and food do not dominate their lives, but must be fitted into the fabric of the whole.  Just as they settle in, tragedy strikes – India is plunged into a devastating civil war, and the country is divided into North and South.  Jai and Kaahi cannot reach their families, all they know is that depending on where your family is from in the country now dictates whether you will live in the North or the South of India.   Kaahi is now from the North, and Jai’s family is in the South.  They decide to go back to their families in India, but they must separate, until the politics of the country change. 

What a captivating tale, as the reader contemplates upheaval from war, families separated, and young couple’s dilemma to stay connected even when physically apart.  The story line is particularly engaging, as the writer weaves explanations about Indian culture in strategic places.  Unfortunately, the tale is written with little depth or explanation, more a reporting of events than an actual story.  But the characters of Jai and Kaali are well crafted, and the reader will root for them and for India to overcome the country’s tribulations so they can be together once more. 

Victoria Z. Burg