The Homing Pigeons...

by Sid Bahri

In the middle of the catastrophic 2008 recession, Aditya, a jobless, penniless man meets an attractive stranger in a bar, little does he know that his life will change forever…..
When Radhika, a young, rich widow, marries off her stepdaughter, little does she know that the freedom that she has yearned for is not exactly how she had envisioned it…..
They say Homing Pigeons always come back to their mate, no matter where you leave them on the face of this earth. Homing Pigeons is the story of love between these two unsuspecting characters as it is of lust, greed, separations, prejudices and crumbling spines.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary

328 pages, Paperback

First published April 10, 2013

Reviews

[Readers Cosmos · Rating 4 out of 5]

To begin with the coverpage is pleasant and eye cathing. The story is new, fresh, never heard of or imagine. The characters and situations are well portrayed and realistic.

A intricate balance of emotions even as the story goes through very high and low points. Two things the author should be applauded for are : One he focuses solely on the story not giving an over does of love making scenes or tragedy as most Indian writers do to sell and that in my opinion makes it an exception and gives it quality. He in fact had a lot of scope but he chose the story.

Two, the biggest achievement of the author here is the exceptional narrative technique. Just two characters each shuffling between their past and present. Both characters linked and therefore to avoid repetition and boring the reader is extremely difficult. It was a great risk to use such a difficult narrative technique especially by a debutant but he did a remarkable job.

A book in the current Indian market where anyone can be an author and majority are not suited for international readers, this one is an exception. It has the story and the quality to change the trend. An amazing unputdownable read.

[Ankita · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The brain hates ambiguity. I think if the brain was a man, he would be an accountant. He'd want the assets and liabilities to be equal."~ page 40

This is one of those stories where you don't know from where to start or how to write the review because you are afraid about telling too much and spoiling the surprise element for the readers. When I opened it and read few pages, I was appalled, Oh I can not describe that feeling, it was confusing as hell, I couldn't decide whether to just go with with the flow and stop being judgmental or shake Aditya so that he come back to his senses. Oh by the way Aditya is the Male protagonist and I am still deciding how much to tell you guys about him because I really want you (whoever is gonna read it) readers to jump into the book without knowing much about what you are gonna get and have the same experience-- From shocking to transfixing to WOAH! moments!! And this story is not just of Aditya but of Radhika as well. Both grown up in different towns, under different circumstances, now living completely different lives yet connected with a delicate but strong string of LOVE, Unbreakable by even the cruelest of times.

This story is about how circumstances makes you do things you never dreamt of and it is yet justifiable as every step you take is an array of all other steps you have taken or forced upon in your life. It is about being perfect by being imperfect. Well it is about finding your desire and following it no matter how twisted it may seem to others.

The story is written alternatively from Aditya's and Radhika's point of views, every chapter of one character ending with suspense-kinda where I kept anticipating What-happened-or-what-will-happen-next, but there .. next page opens with the other character then I have to wait a whole chapter to know the NEXT-OF-PREVIOUS-CHAPTER and the current chapter ends the same way and it kept building.. AGH!!How much really liked it!!(I hope you are getting what I am trying to say). It kept jumping from past to present keeping me engaged the whole time, never breaking the pace.

"A strong backbone differentiates humans from jellybeans" ~ page 318

Author Sid has created a piece where his made his characters grow, not only as a book character but as real person with their dreams, their regrets, their pasts and present trapped in a single Prism always at the verge of colliding with each and reflecting many Pretty and awing colors. It was almost like the author took the challenge of firstly making readers almost dislike both protagonist then making the same readers feel empathetic towards them, then getting lost in their pains and sorrows and when they(readers) emerge, they are actually in sync with those protagonist. With is indeed an ambitious task in itself.

I know I am not talking about the summary of the story.. So I am gonna do that but vaguely. Here, the story starts with Aditya's POV where Aditya finds himself in a difficult situation where he was forced to make a choice by a rather Rich and pretty lady Divya. He did make a choice most of us won't approve of but that one-time-choice doesn't just end there but took a jet-ride. BTW he is married at that time :p.

Then there is Radhika, whose first introductory impression is not so great as well, she is no saint, but there are so many layers that made her into what she is today. She used to be a pretty brilliant girl, still is, but life has always been cruel to her and she has faced it with head on, without breaking. And she has done pretty commendable things like educating unprivileged children so yup, I correct myself here, she seemed like a modern Saint to me.
Aditya and Radhika have been in love with each other since their school days but being shy and all.. couldn't confess their true feelings.. Life gave them another chance but took it away making a cruel cosmic quip.. then.. well I am not gonna tell you everything!! My blog is spoiler free, so sorry guys :) :) Will they finally meet??? And the ending is "a new beginning"...

BTW I loved how Aditys proposed Radhika when fate made them cross each others path again and how she replied. *Wink wink* The side characters like Divya, Aditya's wife, Radhika's daughter, Her parents, Aditya's mother all had an equal share of story making it more appealing.

Verdict: Aditya is the surprise element of this book. If someone would have told me about him being what he is then I probably would not have picked it but I am so thankful to The readers Cosmos for giving me this wonderful opportunity of reading this remarkably exalting, utterly transfixing roller coaster of emotions. As I mentioned before, It kept me engaged the whole time, never breaking the pace, keeping me anticipating the past and future at the same time. Wonderful read Indeed. I have read it in spite of a huge time crunch, this book is that good. :)

[Jaideep Khanduja · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://pebbleinthestillwaters.blogspo...

Book Review: The Homing Pigeons: A Strong Backbone Differentiates A Human Being From Jellyfish

The Homing Pigeons by Sid Bahri has been written in a dual, parallel narrative manner with the two leads Aditya and Radhika, narrating about their individual life in this 318 pages interestingly written fiction love story. Sid has a tremendously strong and engaging writing style. The reader gets totally engrossed and hooked into the individual life of the two lead characters of this novel - Aditya and Radhika, that crosses each other not once, not twice but thrice. The tag line 'Not all love stories are perfect; but then, neither are people' rightly fits into the strong story line of The Homing Pigeons' written by Sid Bahri.

Sid has been able to fill in some reality factors into the story by taking into account the riots that happened countrywide post Indira Gandhi's murder due to which many Sikh families changed their names altogether to reflect them as non-sikh Hindu. Similarly Sid has taken recession as a major factor that impacts the life of Aditya in a very big way changing the whole direction of his life. Aditya was a sikh boy when Radhika from a distant location joins her college in Chandigarh for studies in Accounts.

Radhika's English is as bad as Aditya's accounting knowledge. Both silently start loving each other but neither dared to disclose it to other and get busy into their individual journey after passing out from the college.

All of a sudden a negative wave against Sikh community in the country, Aditya's family business that was flourishing well, gets looted and destroyed totally, during the riots, that results in change of name of the family to Sharmas and thus Aditya Sharma name evolves. Circumstances, in the lives of both Aditya and Radhika, unite them in Delhi when they join Citi Bank as trainees. Once again the love between the two flourishes but again did not materialize as

Aditya's parents did not agree to marry him to an out of caste girl and also belonging to a low standard family.

Overall this engrossing story of The Homing Pigeons written by Sid Bahri revolves you around Aditya and Radhika, in their own narrative style. You, as a reader become an integral part of their ups and downs, their happiness and sorrows, their struggle within, their fight outside, their individual tracks and their tracks crossing each other's from time to time. Grab it to enjoy this fantastic, and an altogether different kind of love story.

[Sarika Patkotwar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actual rating- 4.5

*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of The Homing Pigeons... by Sid Bahri in exchange for an honest review. We thank Nimi @ The Readers Cosmos and Srishti Publishers & Distributors for the book!

Before I begin my review, let me just point out a few things that attracted me to The Homing Pigeons... when Nimi @ The Readers Cosmos emailed us about reviewing it.
First off, the title. Pigeons are beautiful and home is beautiful so it is such a beautiful title for the book.
Secondly, the cover. It is safe to say the cover is not only one of the prettiest, but definitely the most prettiest cover I have seen on an Indian novel so far.
Thirdly, the tagline. "Not all love stories are perfect, but then, neither are people." How much truer can the statement get? I agree with it and love it, hands down.
Lastly, the summary. Even though I normally don't read summaries, this one was short, to the point- few lines that had me imagining one thing in my head and giving me another thing altogether in the book.
Like my fellow blogging buddy Ankita @ Booklok Coffee says in her review of The Homing Pigeons..., even attempting to write a brief summary of the book in my own words is very risky without giving away spoilers and I don't even know what can be considered as spoiler and what cannot. So I will just stick to what I liked about the book and what I did not, of which, the former weighs more than the latter.
I read quite a few Indian Contemporaries here and there and while I enjoy most of them, I simply can't relate to some of them. Among all the Indian Contemporary Romances, The Homing Pigeons... was, by far, the most beautifully written novel. Author Sid Bahri's writing is simply beautiful. In his debut novel, the author has nailed the impressive and exceptional art of captivating the reader by his sheer words, lines sentences and paragraphs- in short, his writing, which is truly commendable. The story takes place in a span of some ten to fifteen years going from past to present and back and forth between the points of views of the two protagonists, Radhika and Aditya. Both their voices were clearly illustrated and put down in a clean, clear, nice and neat manner.
As a story, The Homing Pigeons... is a warm and wonderful tale of two beautiful and broken people, who, because of the wicked games that destiny loves to play, cannot be together and yet, those same wicked games are what make their paths cross. Both Radhika and Aditya were well depicted, strong and a little frenzied characters. When I started reading the book, I had no idea what was going on and how the two voices were even related. But eventually, everything just fell in place flowingly. Radhika's past was pitiful and she grows up to be a strong woman made up from layers and layers of circumstances, experiences and situations. While I found her side of the story too much to take in, I loved seeing how she went through everything that she went through without creating a scene and taking life as it came. Aditya, on the other hand, I really, really liked. I really liked reading his point of view. He had his reasons for everything he did at every point in his life and God, he was just too good. A lot can be said about both Radhika and Aditya, but again, there comes the peril of giving away the whole story.
I loved this love story which interwove and tied the two ends of the same thread in an intricate knot. The Homing Pigeons... was truly a beautiful and sensational novel that goes beyond the pretty cover. It is an articulately written novel about life and love and how, no matter where life takes us, we always find ourselves going back to what we love. I could have easily given the book full 5 on 5 owls, but yes, the story and characters for me, in the Indian context, were too much to take in, but that writing... That did it and had it all.

[Puja · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the outset, The Homing Pigeons is an engaging read. As the tagline says - "Not all love stories are perfect but then, neither are people” - this is the story of two imperfect people coming together and making an equally imperfect love story. Having said that, let me assure you that this read is not the mushy romance that is generally associated with love stories.

The story starts with Aditya who falls victim to recession & hence loses his job. Almost a year of unemployment, desperate & fruitless efforts to find a stable job in the sinking recession-hit market & a loveless marriage drive him to the edge of frustration. Totally broke and running out of options, Aditya finds himself in a bar, spending the last batch of his savings & drinking himself to numbness when an attractive stranger takes a seat next to him. An initial round of drinks and a bizarre business proposition later, Aditya ’s life takes a complete 360° turn which he hadn’t imagined even in his wildest of dreams.

Anticipation of a moment is much bigger and alluring than the moment itself. Radhika learns this the hard way where the freedom that she has been craving for so much from a tiresome marriage & an equally tiresome life is not as gratifying as she had envisioned it. Young & rich yet lonely, Radhika tries to seek out the one thing that will inject some colors into her otherwise dreary life. This is the story of Radhika & Aditya, story of their life – together & separated yet connected to each other.

On first impressions, the two protagonists – Aditya & Radhika seem completely different from each other like the two ends of a diameter. As a result, when the story starts, the reader might get the illusion of two parallel stories running together. But as the story progresses and oscillates between the past & the present, the readers get a glimpse of their romantic entanglements. The major highlight of this read is its unique narration where the point of view keeps alternating between Aditya & Radhika with each chapter. It is indeed a great effort by the author in deviating from the normal pattern of narration and giving the reader an insight of both the protagonists’ views without being repetitive.

However, for me the best part of this read was the character development. Aditya & Radhika are both flawed & complex characters with many layers to them. At the start of the read both might seem spiteful, shallow even. However, as the story unfolds, these various layers are slowly peeled off and with each flashback the readers get a glimpse into their real world, their insecurities, their regrets and vulnerabilities. Aditya & Radhika - both get hurt throughout the course of their life, sometimes by others and sometimes by each other. Initially, they try to shield each other from the pain by playing the sacrificial lamb but when even that doesn’t work, they start shielding themselves from the pain further by hurting each other. As the plot progresses, the characters grow and transform from being hated to someone being empathized. Another highlight of this novel was the wonderful manner in which their paths kept intersecting in spite of them running away from each other.

The plot has its own tides and ebbs making it gripping at times and slightly drab at others. The constant oscillation between the past & the present is at times a bit confusing. However, for a major part of the read, the reader remains hooked. The author has sketched real & relatable characters and that too helps in making this read riveting. All in all, this is a thought provoking read which will keep the reader engrossed.

Review at : http://poojareviewer.blogspot.in/2013...

[Shail Raghuvanshi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The theme of this novel is ‘not all love stories are perfect but then, neither are people.’ I can’t but agree. In fact, there were two reasons why I chose to read this book. One, the above mentioned theme of the story and two, Dr. Shashi Tharoor’s comment about this novel, “ …a remarkable novel by a first-time novelist of immense promise….often exquisitely rendered….exceptional achievement that deserves all the plaudits it is sure to garner.”

The first thought was something like – Wow! If Shashi Tharoor could appreciate this novel then, there must be something in it! And, something there definitely was in the book. I have read many novels over the past several years. I have a lot many plots floating in my brain too. But, never had I imagined the kind of plot that the author Sid Bahri has come up with in The Homing Pigeons.

I, for one had never imagined that a man could opt for prostitution if he has been laid off from his job due to recession. Now, you might ask – so, a female prostitute would do? No! Definitely not but in this patriarchal society, we tend to hear more of women being forced into prostitution than men.

Agreed that there are many women – single, divorced, married and frustrated who wouldn’t mind a fling or two to satiate their sexual desires. But to engage the services of a young man for that? Maybe, I am permitting my personal ethics to intrude into this critical analysis of the novel. Maybe, I am old fashioned as far as my principles of survival are concerned. Maybe, my literary imagination is limited. No wonder, I can’t stretch it that far. But, if I was a man and I had a choice of either starving to death or surviving by selling my body then, what would I do?

The narrative is excellent with every chapter alternating between the two protagonists of the story – Aditya and Radhika. So, you get to know what each character feels from their points of view. The chapters are revealing, honest and practical.

So, do the main characters get together compensating for lost time and imprisoned love?

Do the homing pigeons get back to each other?

Do they get their redemption?

Read on to know. The ending is predictable but virtuously engaging…

[Vinay Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had already put this book on pre-order when one of my friends asked if I was interested in reviewing this book for the author. I had no hesitation to accept her offer and I got an advance copy signed by the author himself.

The thing which caught my eye was the cover page and the very different title. To say the story was just as different would be absolutely the truth. It wasn't just a love story, but a story that brought out many aspects like lust and desperation as well. Done in alternating point of view between two characters, which is absolutely challenging, the book went between present and past before culminating to a finish. Emotions of both characters was given due respect too. The story was gripping, but it was also boring in some places. And some questions still were left unanswered in my mind.

Overall, this story I rate a 7/10 and 4 stars here.

My review: http://wp.me/p2J8yh-2jb

[Bookish Indulgenges with b00k r3vi3ws · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of Radhika and Aditya. Set in the period when recession hit the market, Aditya’s situation at the beginning was that of many youngster of that period. He was just another jobless person struggling with his life. Radhika on the other hand is a young and rich widow who has just taken care of the last of her responsibilities by marrying off her step daughter and looking forward to the freedom that life would now bring her. As both Aditya and Radhika chooses to move to Delhi, little do they know that their paths are about to cross and bring them changes that they hadn’t ever dreamed of.

Aditya, as one of the protagonists of this story, was a character who made it really difficult for me to like. I believe that every person is self-made irrespective of their backgrounds and situation and Aditya is almost everything that I do not like in a person – highly irresponsible with a bad habit of binge-drinking. Plus, all his insecurities about himself really got on my nerves at times. He was a complete mess. I was like, ‘What’s wrong with you? Just Man up!’ But as the story progresses, Aditya starts to show signs of growing and so that brought me some hope. Radhika, on the other hand has many aspects to her character. She is pretty and intelligent and while she has done some really commendable jobs, she also has some not so commendable attributes. There are a couple of other characters that have their influence in the story, but none that really stand out.

The plot is simple and refined. Like an ordinary love story, this too is a story of a man and a woman whose love for each other is tested over the years. Language used is simple but the writing style is something more than ordinary. The way the author has told the story by shuffling between the POV of the two characters and between timelines is truly laudable. Special thanks to the author for avoiding the current trend of inserting unnecessary sleazy scenes.

Overall it was an awesome debut piece that has managed to grab my attention and make sure to keep an eye out for the author’s upcoming works. Give it a try.

[Shilpa Garg · Rating 3 out of 5]

When you read the debut novels of first-time authors, you are filled with anticipation and curiosity. The story in the novel is the labour of love of the author and must have stayed in his thoughts and mind for long enough to push him to convert it into words. Though, that is not true always as I have come across many debut novels which made the grey cells grimace with pain for they had to suffer incorrect English or poor/average story line. Of course, you never know about the pain or the gain until you read it.

I am glad that I picked up Sid Bahri’s The Homing Pigeons which made for an interesting and a riveting read.
The author uses the voice of Aditya and Radhika, the two protagonists, to share the story. Through them the story keeps flitting between the present and the past, traversing years and places. And despite this, the author has a grip on the narrative. The 2 lead characters have their flaws and fail and rise like any one of us. And that makes them very easy to relate to and empathize with.

In The Homing Pigeons, the characterization is good, the story line is refreshingly new, the narrative is crisp and compelling and the pace is smooth. All this is a treat for the reader as you keep turning one page after the other, to know more.

The building up of the predicament, anger, resentment, confusion, longing, desire, love in the two characters’ lives is very promising.

But when it finally reaches the climax, I am reminded of a dialogue from the movie Apocalypse Now where the photojournalist says, ‘this is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper!’ I wish the story didn't end so abruptly though.

Overall, The Homing Pigeons is a delightful read. Pick it up and go for it, and you’ll certainly enjoy it.

[Ava]

This is a story of Aditya and Radhika. The way the story goes, one chapter narrated from the perspective of Aditya and another from Radhika’s, you know that these two people are going to end up together. The title of the book leaves no doubt as to the outcome.

Aditya is out of a job, as the book starts. He is well on his way to being an alcoholic. He passes out in the bar of a fancy hotel. Divya, a traveling professional woman, rescues him. She has a proposal for him, an indecent one.

In the meantime, Radhika is on the brink of marrying off her step-daughter. She is a rich widow and looking forward to an independent life finally.

Aditya and Radhika have a common past, but do they have a future together?

The story moves forward in a very controlled manner. One chapter is by Radhika and another by Aditya. They are forever going into flashbacks and coming back into the present. The story could have become very confusing if the author had lost his hold on it. But he does not. The story is strung together very well.

Most of the action takes place in Chandigarh and Delhi, which are two of my favorite places.

The language is adequate, but could have been better. There were a few shoddy sentences in there. The story lagged a bit in the middle before picking up pace towards the end. The end was wrapped up rather suddenly. It seemed abrupt.

Despite being a romance, it does not read like a typical maudlin love story.

[Raka Majumdar · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of the book is what drew my attention when I first heard of the book. To be honest I had almost begun the book on the premise that Indian writers are of no good, they have nothing new to offer and more often than not deliver a predictable story line. I stand corrected. The Homing Pigeons by Sid Bahri has been a gripping and entertaining read from the word go and it is probably one of those rare books belonging to the genre of popular fiction that I enjoyed thoroughly.

This has been an entertaining read... dont forget to pick this up as good writers need all the encouragement!

Here is the link to the entire review!

http://esotericphoenix.wordpress.com/...

[Abhilash Ruhela · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's the third Srishti Publication's book in the series. :-) This time I am done reading Sid Bahri's debut novel- "The Homing Pigeons" which also has the tagline "Not all love stories are perfect, but then, neither are people". It's 318 pages thick. The book is covered in a very beautiful cover page. The pigeons flying in the sky and the font in which the title of the book is written is in itself so compelling that one would pick up the book. Sid Bahri is a hotelier by education, an ex-banker and a senior executive in the outsourcing industry, Sid gave up a plush career in the outsourcing industry to follow his passions. Based out of Ranikhet, he is now a struggling entrepreneur and a happy writer. A self- proclaimed eccentric, he is an avid blogger who loves to read and cook. Cooking stories, however, is his passion. The Homing Pigeons is his debut novel.

The synopsis of the book says:
In the middle of the catastrophic 2008 recession, Aditya, a jobless, penniless man meets an attractive stranger in a bar. Little does he know that his life will change forever.

When Radhika, a young, rich widow, marries off her stepdaughter, little does she know that the freedom she has yearned for is not exactly how she had envisioned it.

They say homing pigeons always come back to their mate, no matter where you leave them on the face of this earth. The Homing Pigeons is the story of love between these two unsuspecting characters as it is of lust, greed, separations, prejudices and crumbling spines.



I would say that few authors makes us, Indian light-book readers, stand proudly and tell the foreign book-lovers to try them and see if Indian author are any less than their writers. Sid Bahri is definitely one of such writers. In the first 10 pages itself, he made me love his writing style, narration and the imaginations. I, after completing the book, wants to go and meet him wherever he is and personally thank him for making this 2 days journey so wonderful which has been passed in reading his work. Undoubtedly, he is in my Favorite Authors' list. And I am looking forward to read the sequel of this book as he has already written it. :-)

The way Sid Bahri has narrated a same plot from the point of views of both the protagonists- Aditya and Radhika builds a great interest of reader in the book. Once you start reading it, it becomes hard to stop even for a 5 minutes breakfast. Only I know how I have stopped myself from continuing it further yesterday evening as I had to watch IPL Final Match. But I waited for today's morning desperately to begin the book again. And now as the book is completed, I am sad. Yes. Because I wanted to read more of this story and from the very same author. The way story of both the protagonists meet at different points is a very creative aspect of this book. I would say the USP. Every time you want a reasoning as to why did this happen and the chapter ends, you find it somewhere in the chapters following this chapter and you understand why author didn't express the whole reason of the specific happening before when it got its first mention in the story. :-)

The way story begins and Aditya has to turn gigolo is exciting. The way Radhika is being shown as a villain initially and then suddenly you get to know about her past, you start feeling bad about what happened to her in the childhood. The past of Aditya's family too is intensely put. Ok wait, let's stop here. How many such parts of this book am I going to list down here? There's so many of them. :-) This book is the perfect thing in which one can invest all his money that's in the budget of book-buying. And without any second thought, you can gift this book to anyone as its assured that the person is going to thank you immensely for giving them something which teaches so much about life. This book has every thing about life. As stated in its tagline, its not a cheesy love story as we presume it to be as its from an Indian writer. It's about life. It's about how we take decisions and later regret for it and then how life makes us go back to the starting point and repair every thing but this time the person for whom we wanted to change does not want the change. And its about many other perspective about life. You can see how speechless I am while writing this review that I am unable to understand as to which of the 100 good things about this book should I talk in a review that has to be short. :-) Ok let's end this then.

I am simply giving this book 4.5 out of 5. YES. RECOMMENDED LIKE ANYTHING. DO INVEST IN THIS BOOK. Your trust in Indian writers will be rebuild. :-) My favorite book of this year till now. And Sid Bahri sir, do release your 2nd book soon. :-)

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!!

[Nitin Vadher · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first few pages of this book is totally hilarious. This book has a unique plot. From the beginning both the characters building have been handled with utmost care. Sid Bahri has given an insight of our today’s metro life. How divorced, single’s and also unmarried 20’s satisfy their sexual urge. The title of the book Homing Pigeons is very catchy because even though Radhika and Aditya wants’ to seprate themselves from each other their fate doesn’t make possible. Alternate chapters narrated by Aditya and Radhika made this book gripping and page turner. Also chapters are very small so that it eager’s reader what happens next. I am waiting for the next book of sid. A must read book for all youths. Also I must say sid bahri is a different author among our Indians. I am very much satisfied with sid’s debut novel.

• The Plot

Aditya after few drinks down in a bar emptying his wallet when a hot corporate lady (Divya) offers a drink. The drinks turns into more drink and Aditya ends up in hotel room with divya having sex with her. She offers money and then Exbanker turns into a professional Gigolo, how his life changes from a jobless to a person earning more than a class one officer. Divya provides many clients to Aditya also she takes a hefty commission from him. This book shows many facets of human ego, because of tradition and ego of Aditya’s parents, Aditya have to suffer.

On the other hand Radhika with a not so stable childhood, stands out and turns herself into a career oriented woman, but succumbs to her parent’s wishes and makes a mess of her life by marrying an NRI but her marriage doesn’t last long for a year then she returns and maries to older guy how already have a daughter. Radhika completes her responsibilities by marrying her step daughter. Radhika has to leave her husband home and go her way to Delhi with hefty money according to his husband will.

Some of the catchy lines which I liked are:-

Johnnie Walker can make you do funny things. Page no. 5

Emotional blackmail is a woman’s forte. Page no. 277

Our destinies are too intertwined to be away from each other for long. Page no. 316

About the Author

A hotelier by education, an ex-banker and a senior executive in the outsourcing industry, Sid gave up a plush carrier in the outsourcing industry to follow his passions. Based out of Ranikhet, he is now a struggling entrepreneur and a happy writer. A self-proclaimed eccentric, he is an avid blogger who loves to read and cook. Cooking stories, however, is his passion. The Homing Pigeons is his debut novel.

This book review is a part of "The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program". To get free books log on to thereaderscosmos.blogspot.com.

[Anjana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Homing Pigeons is Sid Bahri's debut novel. Shashi Tharoor's quote is on the front cover which says,"....a remarkable novel by a first-time novelist of immense promise..." . I being a true Indian felt immediately sceptical. When I'm told that something is excellent, I start having my doubts. Anyway I plunged in and I confess that I lost track of time completely. I loved Sid's style of writing. It's very unlike the usual Indian author's. There are less descriptions and explanations about the physical surroundings and more emphasis on the protagonists thoughts and actions. I've always felt that Indian authors write primarily for a Western audience and hence there's so much of explanation about everything, which for an Indian reader gets slightly tedious. The Homing Pigeons is refreshingly different. It does not have extended families, depressed souls or poverty !
This is the story of Aditya and Radhika, set in 2008 the year of the recession which hit India and which sees such upheavals in their lives.
"We meet Radhika a rich, young widow at her step daughter's wedding. She's waiting to fulfil her responsibilities and start afresh. The narrative alternates between Radhika's and Aditya's lives. We get our first glimpse of Aditya at a bar where he's trying to drown his sorrows and frustrations stemming from a loveless marriage and unemployment. He ends up conversing with Divya who guides him into a new career and he moves to Delhi to pursue it further. In the meantime Radhika also shifts from Lucknow where she used to live with her husband, into her house in Delhi. The story moves between Radhika's past and the present and suddenly we realise that these two people have many strands which bind them together.The choices that they make takes them away from each other but fate has other plans in store for them. Each trip to the past untangles the knots further and Aditya's and Radhika's lives start gradually moving towards each other".

There's not too much I can give away about the story since it would spoil your fun. It's definitely a love story, but not the sentimental, mushy kind. There aren't too many characters and yet the author managed to retain my interest. Aditya and Radhika are people that we would've met at some point in our lives. I liked the fact that I can identify with the people and situations. I'm a hard core romantic at heart and the intensity of their love took my breath away. The story moves forward seamlessly and I was swept along.
On the whole, The Homing Pigeons is a really good book. It's the perfect book to curl up with because Sid Bahri captures our mind and we get caught up in the world of Aditya and Radhika.

[Kalpana Solsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Indian English writing industry is witnessing a golden era with bloggers trying their hand at full length novels, professionals from all walks of life, quitting their high profile, high paying jobs to plunge into the whirlpool of writing. People with a passion for writing are walking on the road less travelled, often switching careers which have no connection to writing. And the Indian writers are not left behind, often encouraging the authors to take their passion to the next higher level. I salute the brave, bold and enterprising authors of our country.

Sid Bahri is a debutante author who is a hotelier by education, an ex-banker, is now a struggling entrepreneur and a happy writer. He is an avid blogger and cooking stories is his passion. It is difficult to believe that 'Homing Pigeons' is his debut novel and he has all the traits of a seasoned and sensitive writer. Readers keep a watch on this bright star.

The story deals with the protagonists , Aditya and Radhika who are school-mates, attracted to each other but choose to remain silent on the matters of the heart and the story takes a twist.

Radhika's yearning for love and acceptance is deeply rooted in her childhood.Even though she has biological and foster parents , she is pushed from one set of parents to another , unwanted, thus craving for love. In search for love her martial status changes from a divorcee to a rich widow, who yearns for freedom which comes at a price.

Aditya and Radhika meet and drift apart, meet and again drift apart by fate and circumstances and compounded by their weakness.

Finally they have to come together as homing pigeons have an innate and uncanny ability to find their mate.This is a love story with a difference as no two people are the same.

Not all love stories are perfect, but then neither are people, printed on the cover page strikes an instant cord while picking up the book in a shop/store.The reader cannot keep the book down. Such is the magnetism of this book. Aditya and Radhika come out alive, entwining the readers with their emotions and continue to be a part of our lives long after completing the book.

Parental love and indifference, friendship, love, lust are all human emotions juxtaposed beautifully. Readers can identify themselves with the two protagonists as they sacrifice their love and ambitions for family , society and ego.

The author signs off the book on a positive note.

Happy reading.

Kalpana Solsi.

[Adite · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sid Bahri makes his debut with The Homing Pigeons. What caught my eye was the tagline beneath the title. "Not all love stories are perfect but then, neither are people."

It turned out to be an intriguing read, especially when one of the two protagonists of this "imperfect" love story is a gigolo. And the love interest is a twice-married, recently divorced woman. Aditya is a corporate executive who has been "restructured", thanks to the economic recession and is forced to take up a "job" as a gigolo. The author sets up the characters, Aditya and Radhika, and their situations in a manner that makes you empathize with them. Which itself is an achievement as most readers of romance will find it difficult to empathize with a hero whose career involves selling sexual favours. Mr. Bahri also adopts a different approach to telling his characters' individual stories - each chapter is a first-person account by one of the two characters. And the story unfolds through a series of flashbacks told from each one's perspective. While the love story reveals itself in the backstory, the plot is revealed through the present-day situations of the two characters.

The constant going back and forth does impede the flow of the story but once you have grasped that it's the flashbacks that tell the story, you continue to turn the pages to find out what happens to Aditya and Radhika. While it turned out to be a satisfying read, I wished Mr. Bahri had amped up the conflict a bit more before providing a happy resolution to the story. Most of the conflict turns out to be internal, with Aditya and Radhika caught up in their own angst as they both choose not to engage in open conflict about their issues. It's only towards the end of the book, that there was a bit of external conflict between the estranged lovers. This flaw really does slow down the narrative, particularly in the middle of the book.

Sid Bahri's book, nevertheless, is an interesting read and I will definitely keep a look out for his next book.

[Sundeep Supertramp · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, I like to thank Nimi Vashi (of http://thereaderscosmos.blogspot.in/) for electing me as an eligible reviewer to review such a great book. Yeah, I also want to apologize to her that I couldn't review this book as early as I had promised. It was the time, I have external examinations going and that was why I couldn't read this book on time. Anyways, better late than ever, here is the true and unbiased review you have asked for.

Plot:
In the middle of the catastrophic 2008 recession, Aditya, a jobless, penniless man meets an attractive stranger in a bar, little does he know that his life will change forever…..

When Radhika, a young, rich widow, marries off her stepdaughter, little does she know that the freedom that she has yearned for is not exactly how she had envisioned it…..

They say Homing Pigeons always come back to their mate, no matter where you leave them on the face of this earth. Homing Pigeons is the story of love between these two unsuspecting characters as it is of lust, greed, separations, prejudices and crumbling spines.

About the author:
A hotelier by education, an ex-banker and a senior executive in the outsourcing industry, Sid gave up a plush career in the outsourcing industry to follow up his passions. Based out of Ranikhet, he is now a struggling entrepreneur and a happy writer. A self-proclaimed eccentric, he is an avid blogger who loves to read and cook. Cooking stories, however, is his passion. The Homing Pigeons is his debut novel.

He can be reached at sidd.bahri@gmail.com

My take on the book:
Readers, let me explain the situation I have completed reading this book in. I started reading this book immediately after my lab examinations and I have.......

To read the whoel review, click here...

[Pratibha Pandey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aditya , a sikh guy whose name was converted in his early years is an ambitious , proud and kind person who is forced to make some choices against his values and morals.
Radhika , a girl from small town who married for all wrong reasons and circumstances , widowed at the age of thirty tow is unsure how to spend the life ahead even if she is finally free to do anything.

These are the pigeons who meet , depart , meet again , love , hurt , still love and still miss each other , no matter when and where life takes them. Sid has beautifully linked the memories and flashback scenes to the events in present. hoe certain things and days are meant to be dedicated to only your past and nothing makes sense those times.

Along the protagonists , the other characters are as much true to their character sketch and nature as detailed by the author. I like each one of them in whatever role they were assigned – the servants , the friends , the people who became catalyst in the events unfolding in way they did or even the people who remotely had no influence on the events but were still a part of it.

I really enjoyed the alternating narration and the flashback modes ’cause it kept me wondering what changed these two nice people to become who they are right now. It was like meeting them at a coffee place and some how listening to their life story. I judged them on some pages , cried for Radhika at another , smiled for Aditya’s love and there was some satisfaction when the book ended.

[Anurag · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Homing Pigeons is an engaging debut by Sid Bahri and deserves more than a mere applause. The ‘Goods’ in the book begin with the fabulously designed cover and seep into its pages in the lucid and crisp language used to tell an engaging, contemporary story.

The narrative is in first person and the two principal characters, Aditya and Radhika alternatively ferry the reader through its alleys. The characters are well defined, their emotions well brought out and the reader can almost visualize them as living, breathing beings. The author also carefully weaves in actual events and happenings (the 1984 Delhi riots and the economic slump) to lend the story an additional bit of credibility.

A couple of points where the book could have fared better are the plot, it gets somewhat predictable towards the end, and the incessant time-travel as one moves from one chapter to the next. Though the ploy of hopping across dimensions of time to tell a story has been successfully used in the past, when mingled with the two-person narrative, it ends up causing some confusion in the minds of the reader.

However, the misses are insignificant and do not dilute the experience of a pleasurable read. All in all a good book and worth a read for the sheer freshness it has to offer.

[Binu Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

link: Complete Review

"The Homing Pigeons" is a love story of two people meeting, leaving, meeting, leaving and eventually meeting again! Much like the 'homing pigeons' who are known to return to their own place irrespective of the location they are currently in. Metaphorically, the two protagonist in this book, Aditya and Radhika, go through the same motions till they meet (again and again). Although the title is apt for such a story, the cover page somehow isn't. But, as they say, never judge a book by its cover!

The narration is non linear. You get too know a part of Aditya's life followed by Radhika's life. Initially, they are as different as chalk and cheese. Your instinct (and the book title) reminds you that their stories will meet at one point. But that's not the point here. It's how smoothly the stories meet that makes this book worth reading.

[Yatin Gupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Homing Pigeons is one of the most entertaining and gripping reads that I have read recently by a debut author. The narrative, the plot and the story all of them worked for me. Also, do explore the music of this book too, its soothing and very fresh.

This 300+ page book is a gripping tale of two people and how their lives intersect time and again.

The writing is simple and totally relatable.

Sid Bahri is an author to watchout for. I am already waiting for his next release.

Read the entire review here www.iyatingupta.com

[Saurabh Khetan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Friends let me put my word first, i can't refrain myself from praising this novel, i must say author is too good in depicting his thoughts in words, both the protagonist life and their love for each other their journey in life, their up and downs their love, their sacrifices for their family, their longing or yearning for each other, their respect for each other is remarkable,

I must say this is must read novel who ever belief in destiny and who ever love in life.

[Kalyan Panja]

The fable is bright, immaculate which is effortless to read and is gripping and the writing simple and pertinent. The language is graceful and the course is sustained at an exceptional lick that craft you surely not set down the book with a tetchy convert which must force you to turn folios that will fix you precise from sheet one till the conclusion.

[Maulik · Rating 4 out of 5]

You won't feel as if it is written by a debutante .. It goes so much in flow, in rhythm with two characters and two stories complimenting each other in a way that a beautiful symbiotic relation comes to existence and then has a beautiful end where both the stories that collide midway end with togetherness of characters. A must read !!

[Pozzo Lahiri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book. Fresh idea, crisp narration. Could've used better editing, I think.

[Pankaj · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good book. Quite readable though the end is abrupt .

[Faraaz Kazi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple and touching. Doesn't attempt to be something it is not! Highly recommended!

[Fahima M (Hitch Theory) · Rating 4 out of 5]

For more book reviews, check out I Read, Ergo I Wriite

I recently joined a course on Cousera called The Fiction of Relationships, where part of the course was to study classic works of fiction that gave great insight into relationships. But you know something? I felt I learnt so much more about the 'fiction of relationships' from this one book - The Homing Pigeons' than I did from the whole first book that we studied.

This book. Is. Something Else.

We work, in the hope that we will get a raise. We love, in the hope that we will find a soul mate. And we earn, in the hope that we will never have to work again.

Its been a couple days since I finished this book, and I'm still reeling, and am having a hard time gathering my thoughts, so if this review is all over the place (I have a hunch it is going to be), then please forgive me, and check out the review on Pooja's blog On Books!, which I'm sure she'll be writing in a few days :)

Im not going to go into the summary of the book like I usually do, because doing so would be giving away a bit, and that'll spoil it for you. Not only that, this book is so much more than the relationship between Aditya and Radhika. It delves into each of them as individuals and what they each bring into the relationship as a result of who they are, as themselves.

Aditya is a young man, out of job as so many were during the recession, and so is pushed down to second place in the pecking order behind his wife. This rankles (obviously), so he spends most of his time outside the (hers, now) house. One one such outing, he gets completely smashed at a bar, and meets a beautiful stranger. That is where begins his journey into the sunken depths of society, where the rich come for satisfaction, and the service providers are relegated to the status of unmentionables. Aditya struggles (though not much) with himself in his decision to go down this path, but finally gives in, and soon after, starts seeing it as a kind of penance for his misdeeds.

Radhika is a recently widowed 32 year old, who is finally free from all her obligations, now that her step daughter is married. She finds that she now has all the freedom that she craved for all those years under a man's thumb, but has nothing to devote herself to. Due to her 'not tragic by conventional definition, but still tragic' childhood, she is estranged from her family and is completely alone, save for her man Friday, Laxman. This gives her plenty of time for contemplation and self-examination, which is how most of the book is spent.

Some of this story put me in mind of L M Montgomery's books. Radhika's background story reminded me a bit about Anne of Green Gables, with respect to Aditya, and her upbringing as well. Her Papa reminded me of Emily's (of the Emily series) father, with his soft affection for Radhika and that the book showed him as a quiet thinker.

Around 100 pages into the book, you know what the climax (yes, this one has a climax. Very filmy like.) is going to be. But you still keep going, out of sheer human curiosity (really, this one will tease you so much!), if not for the wonderful, wonderful writing.

And that brings us to the writing.

People, okay, I'll be honest with you here. If this rating was purely for the storyline ALONE, it would get only a 3 star. But the writing! I swear, there hasn't ever been an Indian writer (for me) that has had such beautiful words that I have resorted to ear marking pages. And I did. Several, if fact. Most of the story is spent in retrospect, but not a moment is spent in tedium for the reader. The author's knack of using analogy is very interesting and only adds to his worth as a writer.

I learned something through this book. When we hear of / see / read love stories, we're often happy for the couple. But what about the 'behind the scenes' action that went on before the happily ever after? It's not often that a book comes along with such severely flawed characters and is written in such a way, that you forgive them their sins at the end. That saying? 'The end justifies the means'? Very fitting over here, at least it was for me. I did not like a lot of the character's actions. The fact that at the end, I was ready to forget all of that, the reason for that lies solely with the author, and I applaud him for that.

The author's interesting observations about life and people that he has worked into the story makes the reading experience real insightful.

It was ironic that she had said what she had. I was immature enough to be in love and yet, mature enough to be married.

India is still a pretty conservative country, and we are restrictive by nature. Things that are discussed in this book are not exactly drawing room conversation friendly, but the courage to pull this off, and not detract from the quality (there are , after all, people who take up controversial topics just to be 'bold', but have no substance in actuality), is a mean feat, at which Bahri has succeeded remarkably.

Bottomline: Read it for the exemplary writing of an Indian author.

For more book reviews, check out I Read, Ergo I Wriite

*A copy of the book was provided by Srishti Publishers via The Readers Cosmos Review Program in exchange for an honest review.

[Subramanyam K.V. · Rating 3 out of 5]

this review first appeared on http://satyasurya.wordpress.com/2013/...

“Not all love stories are perfect, but then, neither are people” an interesting quote on the cover page of the book, isn’t it ? I was curious on what this imperfect love story is going to be and having read all the 300+ pages believe and endorse that Sid Bahri has done a tremendous job in creating and narrating a love story with a difference.

Sid Bahri has taken a bold and a completely unconventional approach to build a story that has two pigeons that wander here-there-everywhere and battle emotions like love, lust, passion, greed, personal egos and endure bouts of grief and separation before they realize what they miss and settle down for life.

“Aditya” who lost his job to the great 2008-2009 recession has huge problems. He is jobless for a year, all his savings have evaporated, has been forced to sell his home & car to make the ends meet. As if adding to his woes, none of his job trials bear fruit which make his wife Jasleen think that her jobless,homeless& penniless husband is not sincere about his life and is practically wasting it consuming alcohol night after night.

On one of those fateful days as Aditya is about to finish his last penny on a drink at the bar in Chandigarh, a girl comes up, strikes a conversation with him, then buys him a drink or two and that conversation, that meeting changes his life altogether.

Around the same time, somewhere in Lucknow, a widow gets her step daughter married off, and is now forced to move out of the city . How does Radhika cope up with this change in her life. What plans does she have for the future?

What does fate have in store for both of them? what sort of past do they have and how is it going impact their future all these form the crux of this imperfect love story which the book narrates to us.

I would say that Sid Bahri was bold with the plot as some things he wrote might raise eyebrows of the viewers. I was shocked when I realized what the protagonist got into. To me, it was rather very very bold attempt to have the protagonist do such things in debut novel. It might be close to the reality but few traditionalists like me might not really agree with the protagonist’s acts and behavior. However, that’s an individual opinion. Do read the book and judge for yourself.

Coming to the style of writing, its easy to read and is a page turner. The way the story alternates between Radhika and Aditya and the way it alternates in the time is also good. The pace is very good at the beginning of the book but somewhere in the middle and end, the story slows down. However, that does not impact the readability of the book, one would enjoy it. The English is simple and easy to understand, occasionally studded with nice strong words. The very fact that I completed the entire 300+ page book in 5-6 hours speaks volumes about the ease with which one can read the book. Nice and joyful read.

Coming to areas where I thought the book could have been improved are

(i) The protagonist realizes the fact that something is wrong and changes gears in the end, but it happens too quickly, probably a little more space and time could have been devoted for that episode. To me this is important, because when a person reads the book it would be good if he knows the physical and mental stress few things leave on people. We never know the age group of the readers and spending a little more time the ill effects of few things might lift misconceptions from the minds of the people.

(ii) Though a reason was given for Radhika marrying a man quite elder to her, it was not elaborate onto why and how she gets into the wedlock there, probably a little more emphasis there would also help as it would make the book more complete.

I am saying these two things because I felt that the book is an easy read and 50 more pages or so would not have really burdened the reader and would have actually added great value to the book.

That apart it was a nice attempt, the emotions and the way people act as if they are spineless at situations were very well portrayed. We see people who run away when they actually have to stand up for the situation and that was shown nicely in the book. The scars unhappy marriages leave on people, the way riots and other untoward incidents change people’s perceptions are very well portrayed . The way fate plays games with people and their lives was very well shown. A great job done for a debut novel. All in all, a totally different way of looking at a love story. It breaks the monotony of the “regular boy meets girl— fall in love —face challenges— and live happy life there after” types and hence offers a completely different perspective to the person reading it. Do pick it up when you find time.

Happy Reading

This book review is a part of “The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program”. To get free books log on to thereaderscosmos.blogspot.com.

[Pooja Sathyanarayanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog, On Books!

The Homing Pigeons had a lot working for it; right from the beginning. The title, for one, felt 'comfortable' and left behind a beautiful image of what the book could be about. The blurb was enticing, further evoking the idea of two unsuspecting lovers who were meant to be, come what may.

And when I started reading the book, I was hooked, as the writing was so so beautiful. I was reading it at the same time as Fahima from I Read, Ergo I Write (which was a lot of fun! We've never done this before!) and we couldn't stop texting each other about it!!

At its core, The Homing Pigeons is a love story that grows along with the central characters; disentangling itself from obstacles and severing cuts and bruises formed out of momentary foolishness, crumbling backbones and harsh circumstances. But reducing The Homing Pigeons to simply "a love story" does not do it justice. In fact, I felt the love story was the weakest part of the plot- though it was definitely essential to carry the book forward.

What truly sets this book apart is that it is set in 2008, during the recession and it is relentless in showing the depths to which one can sink to during this time and how significant both money and love are, despite wishful thoughts that only the latter matters. The protagonists, Radhika and Aditya, are figuratively and even literally at times reduced to commodities, cheapened when the supply is high or when demand and supply don't quite meet. Their paths skirt around each other, crisscross briefly before they skittle away until they finally intersect and reach the point of no return.

More than anything, it was the writing that drew me in. The writing morphed the characters into so much more, with both Aditya and Radhika's alternating points of view and the back story revealed in bits and pieces. Despite their imperfections and the endless melodramatic circles they ran in, it was impossible to dislike the main characters as they were so resilient. They braved through obstacles that felt real rather than manufactured or blown out of proportion.

I loved how artfully the back story was unraveled, surprising you most of the time as connections you never saw coming are slowly revealed to you and it all clicks in the end. There are so many lines you want to hold on to, that make you want to pause and reflect and quote over and over again! ❤

"The pain lingered on, of not being able to garner the courage to express what I felt for her. I felt the agony of never being able to dance with her to the tunes of old English songs. I felt anguished that even if I met her later in life, I wouldn't be seventeen."

The last line, I felt, captured so much!

Another line that left me feeling as hollow and torn as Radhika:

"I stayed there, locked inside, sweating, unsure of who I was hiding from."

The Homing Pigeons is a book that definitely does not hold back with parts that may shock you, make you feel as broken as the characters and have you enraptured till you hit the final page. It is the most engaging Indian contemporary novel I've read so far and I was happy to hear that there will be a sequel. I haven't revealed much of the plot in my review but I can assure you that it is a wonderfully written edgy, sort-of controversial and thoughtful book that stands out (in the best way) from the handful of contemporary Indian books I've read!