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Love happens only once.

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Brief is Life...
But love is long...

When his mates were preparing for board exams, he was busy flirting with girls!

When his friend wanted to propose a girl, he hasn't even seen, he was busy thinking how to rob his friend's landlord!

When another friend was searching for a substitute Dad, he was busy kissing his girlfriend in ladies washroom!

Meet Rishi and enter into his world full of fun, flirting with random girls, hanging out with friends and his love-interest Ananya.

If you think LOVE is just another four letter word, think again! As after reading this book, your perception about LOVE is going to change from a mere 'emotion' to 'devotion', because...

Love happens only once...rest is just life.

179 pages, Unknown Binding

First published December 1, 2011

61 people are currently reading
1100 people want to read

About the author

Rochak Bhatnagar

8 books68 followers
Rochak Bhatnagar is the bestselling author of 'Love Happens Only Once'. With a stock of over hundreds of books, he is a voracious reader and loves his collection that includes both fiction and non-fiction.

He has been fond of reading, writing and composing stories since childhood. At present, he is handling engineering and his passion for writing simultaneously because well, you know, a small packet of happiness mostly comes with a bundle of responsibility and a promise of dedication towards the achievement of your goal.
Inspired by the events around his environs, his stories seem realistic. At least, that’s what he likes to think.

He resides in Delhi, and loves to pen down his thoughts whenever he gets time.

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5 stars
97 (22%)
4 stars
73 (17%)
3 stars
125 (29%)
2 stars
74 (17%)
1 star
57 (13%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
Profile Image for VaultOfBooks.
487 reviews105 followers
August 14, 2012
By Rochak Bhatnagar. Grade: D
It is a good thing I am a very optimistic person because even after having so many bad experiences with Indian authors I haven’t lost my faith in them. After reading the interview of Mr. Bhatnagar, I was intrigued. I assumed him to be a sensible and a mature writer, and so I went ahead and picked his book up, Love Happens Only Once and…and I mean no disrespect, but the book just didn’t work for me.
When his mates were preparing for board exams, he was busy flirting with girls!
When his friend wanted to propose a girl, he hasn’t even seen, he was busy thinking how to rob his friend’s landlord!
When another friend was searching for a substitute Dad, he was busy kissing his girlfriend in a ladies washroom!
Meet Rishi and enter into his world full of fun, flirting with random girls, hanging out with friends and his love-interest Ananya.
If you think LOVE is just another four letter word, think again! As after reading this book, your perception about LOVE is going to change from a mere ‘emotion’ to ‘devotion’, because…
Love happens only once…rest is just life.

The story starts with a guy name Rishi giving a speech in the freshers party. It’s his third year in college and out of the blue a perfect stranger approaches him and asks him about his love life. Here’s how it goes:
“Sir, Parvitra di told me that you have the most romantic yet painful love story. Is it true? She eve told me that you are the perfect boyfriend any girl could get.”
“Oh really? It’s nothing like that yaar. It’s just…”
“Please sir, I am all ears. Tell me your story naa…” She encouraged.
“No, I don’t really like to discuss this with anyone.”
Please sir, please. Only me. Please, please,” she begged.
“Okay fine,” I said.
“Story started the day I was born…”
That’s simply ridiculous! What sort of sane man would discuss something as private as his love story with a complete stranger?
Rishi is mean, he is arrogant and doesn’t give a damn about anyone’s feelings. And as simply as he put it, he is a bastard. He is a guy who doesn’t believe in love. The story starts when he is in tenth grade and how he ditches a girl and throws her feelings at her face. He is cursed by his ex that when he’ll fall in love with someone and when that someone won’t reciprocate his feelings then he’ll know how it feels (and they were just in the 10th grade).
So a year passes, he is in the eleventh grade and there is this drop dead gorgeous girl in school, and one glance at her, Rishi is smitten. After a brief meeting with her they meet again after three years. They spend most of their time together. Rishi has feelings for her since the day he met her but never managed to say it to her face. Rishi keeps telling her he doesn’t believe in love, that’s just bullshit for him, but then again suddenly out of the blue he asks her to be his valentine! Couldn’t he pull a better line? Of course he had to face a rejection.
Then he realizes what has he been doing all these years, but he has learned his reason and so he gets his love interest in the end.
“Sir, you have a beautiful story. Why don’t you write a book?” Kritika said, tears dripping down her cheeks.
I read the blurb and I had a feeling I won’t like the book. YA is not my favourite genre, but it is not my least favourite either, so I gave it a try. During the first half, I kept thinking that I was reading a teenager’s dairy, full of !!!! and SOMEBODY FORGOT TO TURN THE CAPS LOCK OFF.
While the story in itself isn’t too bad, it is painfully obvious that it is being written by an amateur. The characters are badly portrayed, bad tenses, bad language, abrupt scenes, a completely predictably plot and the formation of sentences is very odd.
The only thing I liked about it was the cover until I realized the startling similarity it bears to Ravinder Singh’s Can Love Happen Twice?
A guy for whom relationships are just a waste of time falls for a girl at first sight? I don’t believe in that. Love is a strong word, a strong emotion. But the first time he sees her, all he wants is to gather her in his arms and tell her he loves her? Sure there is an attraction, a spark, but the first meeting with her changed him entirely as a person? The story could have been developed but the novel(-la) is too short for that.
I think Rochak Bhatnagar is a nice writer (and I am concluding this from the interview alone), but this story was not for him. He should take a break, practice and write something better.


Originally reviewed at : www.the-vault.co.cc
Profile Image for Payal Banik.
451 reviews108 followers
November 7, 2012
Okay I bought this book on a total whim. It had such a cute cover I couldnt resist. Completed in two hours. Later when I saw the Author's name, I couldnt believe it. Rochak Bhatnagar !! He lives in my lane, four or five houses away !! So I think here I am little biased on the rating....otherwise I would have given it 1 star

First thing : This book was totally not for me. It was too cute and immature and simple for me. :P It is the simplest novel I have ever read.
The title has almost no relation with the book "Love happens only once" . The guy Rishi fell twice in love. I thought it to be highly emotional. But it was like I was reading but I felt no emotion at all. I just felt like choking myself at the show of such a petty display of love. I mean it was really childish.
In the Prologue, the story was described as romantic and painful and Rishi doesnt like to share it with anyone. Man.......if this story is painful then I dont know how other really painful stories would be described as.

Now here is the story....
Rishi, a guy who doesnt believe in love....and certainly not in love at first sight. He is in 10th standard that is will be appearing for his boards exams. In author's point of view Rishi is depicted as totally bastard.....flirting around with girls and breaking their hearts and all(in a totally innocent way). He went to a disc one day with college friends. There he met a beautiful girl Ananya and obviously got attracted. He met her again somewhere accidentally and exchanged numbers and fb id's. Then they started chatting. After 3 years, he wrote a letter to Ananya expressing his feelings and proposing her. Ananya rejected him as he didnt believe in love whereas Ananya was totally lovey dovey types and wanted a stable boyfriend. And then she was gone from his life....changed her number.
Then he enrolled for his Btech in GBTU. There, a girl proposed him on phone....said she fell in love with him and wanted to meet him. Ofcourse he refused. Then he met a friend of a friend Pragya and fell in love with her. (How pathetic ! Typical boy :P )
Then after some try he proposed her and Pragya said yes. And then I felt like choking myself whenever Pragya or Rishi's love for Pragya is described. Then his friend's love story is described. Rishi and his friend stole 50,000 from someone and got 25000. He bought gifts for Pragya on her birthday.
Then Sumit, his best buddy told him that Pragya is bad for him. He fought with him and stopped talking with him. Later he read some messages on Pragya's cell. Only then he made some inquiries and found that She had a boy-friend and apparently they are again in a relationship. And she's not virgin. After knowing this, he was in tears. :P When he confronted Pragya....you know what she slapped him and broke up with him. And the guy begged her to not to break up with him. Gosh can you believe it!! I hate this part of the story
Then he sent her a message
"As I feel the tear do down my cheek,
I notice that my heart is weak.
For the love I have for you,
will always be gold and true.
I have made some mistakes, they rest in the past,
But, my love for you will forever last.
Even though we are a distance apart,
you always have the key to my heart.
Am sorry Pragya. I love you..."
He kept crying for dont know how many days !!!
And then suddenly he dreamed about Ananya. And she was back in his life. Ananya suddenly realised that it was her mistake that Rishi is suffering now....after reading Rishi's diary. And then Rishi and Ananya were lovey dovey again. (like I have always loved you, I have missed you n blah blah blah). Well and this was the ending.


But the book held my interest...for that I gave it 3 stars.


21 reviews1 follower
February 20, 2012
Brief is Life...
But love is long...

When his mates were preparing for board exams, he was busy flirting with girls!

When his friend wanted to propose a girl, he hasn't even seen, he was busy thinking how to rob his friend's landlord!

When another friend was searching for a substitute Dad, he was busy kissing his girlfriend in ladies washroom!

Meet Rishi and enter into his world full of fun, flirting with random girls, hanging out with friends and his love-interest Ananya.

If you think LOVE is just another four letter word, think again! As after reading this book, your perception about LOVE is going to change from a mere 'emotion' to 'devotion', because...

Love happens only once...rest is just life.
Profile Image for Sheik.
3 reviews2 followers
September 11, 2012
None of my friends and ME too liked the book !
A poor story-line!
It doesnt become a love story book, if u jus write abt Hanging out in a cafe, and going to a disco and describing as TWINKLING LIKE STARS abt ur lover..!
Profile Image for Harry b nair.
60 reviews20 followers
November 2, 2012
Its very dull and the plot is hugely predictable with a bad and sudden ending.Nothing is worth in the book, the narration, the language , dialogues (other than describing love) or the character sketch all are weak and half boiled.A bad attempt.
Profile Image for Prakash.
10 reviews2 followers
Read
May 26, 2013
Its Futile to read such kind of BOOKS........Its better to stay away from reading books like this...
Profile Image for Maithri.
8 reviews
February 17, 2014
you will not know whether to laugh at the story or sob for spending money on this book...
Profile Image for Urvish Patoliya.
15 reviews
April 25, 2015
This book is not worth of one star I just give it 1/2 star
The book is completely over praised rishi in whole book ..
and stroy don't just run but jump and it's too fast to built interest in it ..
Profile Image for Jitin.
23 reviews5 followers
October 23, 2017
My rating for the depth of this 'novella' will be 1/10 of a star. I think it's becoming pervasive now a days of Indian Engineers to delve into literature and somehow find meaning in their lives with their cheep and cheesy books and a childish outlook at world of love, desire, metaphilosohy and relationships. Just because this writer lives delusionally in his privileged life with some fundamentally untruths about reality and workings of world, he thinks of himself as a pedant with an enlightened mind similar to Our dead Chetan Bhagat. I would kick this person in the center of love if he repeats his pedantic views in last few pages to me. If someone knows him, please do it for me and ask this nincompoop to read some better philosophy and not delve into writing a book meant for mass (typical average person with idealistic views of love defined in cheesy language and pretending to be subordinate to a master (woman) who wants to be treated as king). Ask him if he knows any difference between fantasy and reality. I gave it 1/10 because I recognized my life event when I was rejected by whatever and otherwise I would have given it 0.00000000 (I know it's 0 only, hahah).
115 reviews7 followers
July 5, 2018
Bought it in valentine week to feel the love and romance through words but was disappointed. The plot was literally dead.It is only one time read book.
Profile Image for Shivam Paliwal.
43 reviews
May 13, 2020
Ok ok I wanted some food plot twist but I should have also looked at the genre right , it doesn't happen in these.
Profile Image for Pasupathi.
49 reviews3 followers
December 30, 2014
Its true that "Love Happens Only Once, Rest is Just Life". But there must be a well defined description for that Love. isn't? I do not see that appropriate description in this book. By seeing the title and 5 star ratings from many readers, I had a reasonable expectation on this book. But this guy, Rochak Bhatnagar has disappointed me totally with his crap.

I could say the title is worth while comparing to its content. It is just starting with a tiresome intros. The author is simply boasting about his hero without logic. Hero(named Rishi) is hosting a c-programming competition and he himself won the first prize. What is the logic in this? There are many unwanted scenes for Rishi to describe him.

At first Rishi is just roaming as a playboy in his school. He doesn't know what is true love and suddenly he fell for a girl(Ananya) and proposed her. Once she reject him, he started feeling for her. In this point there must be some strong scene to depict his love towards her. But there is no such plots in this book. And once again he is giving his love to some other girl(Pragya) to heal his pain given by Ananya. He is just giving the same love to two girls. Then what is called true love? In this way, the title itself fails to match with its content.

After all, Rishi has a cool and nice friends around them. Author is portraying them as a best friends for Rishi. But he failed to add appropriate sequences to show them as best friends.

Overall narration is poor. But I just accepted since it is his debut novel. I don't know how these story writers are simply publishing a book with the same style of love story. At some places the phrases which he used were making us irritated.
My overall rating is 1.5/5.
"Don't go for a book by simply with its title and cover"
Profile Image for Pooja Jeevagan.
150 reviews112 followers
August 24, 2013
This is one of the books I would recommend staying away from...and I gave it a two just because I considered the author's age and respect him for sitting together to write a book (because I know that's a tough part!)

Otherwise this story has nothing new to offer...in fact even the plain old routine love story that Indian authors tend to write is missing in here...there are no parts one would relate to or things that might touch you...and I had ordered its sequel when I bought this as these had pretty good rating on Flipkart and even GoodReads...lesson learnt, never buy book two without reading book one...

But I will still read it, now that it has been bought, for I want to see how come a novel without any story have a story for its prequel :P
Profile Image for Nikhil Talwar.
221 reviews7 followers
Read
March 11, 2016
The book has uch a cute cover I couldnt resist.
"Love happens only once" . The guy Rishi fell twice in love.
When his mates were preparing for board exams, he was busy flirting with girls!
When his friend wanted to propose a girl, he hasn't even seen, he was busy thinking how to rob his friend's landlord!
When another friend was searching for a substitute Dad, he was busy kissing his girlfriend in ladies washroom!
A nice love story. Its not too complicated. It talks about love, breakups, fights, arguments and how to overcome ur emotions and anger when u r left alone to deal with a problem.
Can be read once.
His other novel "One Life One Love" was better than this one.
6 reviews
May 9, 2016
Honestly, the cover was what got my eye. Look at it... so beautiful. (at least for me)
It is basically a story about school's notorious boy who fall in love with a newbie girl, sweet and innocent. When he proposed her, she was already aware of his playful attitude. So she right handedly just rejected him.
Than the story continues after some years, he is now in an engineering college met a new girl fall in love with her.. But, she cheated him with her ex. And at the end somehow he was united with his first love.
I completed it pretty soon. A far good read for some easy read.
Profile Image for Meghant Parmar.
Author 3 books52 followers
May 20, 2013
A nice love story. Its not too complicated. It talks about love, breakups, fights, arguments and how to overcome ur emotions and anger when u r left alone to deal with a problem.


It is very simple. Flow is smooth and nothing too extra ordinary. It might be pretty regular and common type of love stories for many people.


But efforts of the author have to be appreciated. :)


A lil bit of more spice would have made it more interesting.
Profile Image for Sadichchha.
32 reviews4 followers
February 8, 2018
a touching love story..........beautifully written... <3 <3
Profile Image for Manroop Kaur.
2 reviews1 follower
October 21, 2014
quite engrossing.. read all at once but the story had some loopholes.. rishi fell in love twice with the same intensity that doesn't justify the title of the book.
Profile Image for Shashank Jaiswal.
3 reviews6 followers
February 1, 2015
1 star for content and another one for appreciating the efforts of author at such an age.
4 reviews
April 8, 2015
Regular Pulp fiction with good story line but it run with a slow pace needs to be a patient reader.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Jayati Agrawal.
18 reviews1 follower
May 4, 2023
ordinary story,completed in 3 hours, gave 2 stars bcoz in this book in epilogue rochak mentioned abt his anniversary n coincidently today's My anniversary too :) otherwise I would hv given 1 star.
Profile Image for Rahul.
7 reviews
June 7, 2015
I don't know, how it become a best national seller. This book has nothing new. This book is nothing but the copy so 20's college movies.
Profile Image for Giridhar Alwar.
Author 7 books2 followers
September 3, 2015
Short and sweet story... by Rochak...

If it so called love, that definitely happens once.
1 review
January 22, 2016
i may love this book after reading......
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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