Love and longing
Aditi Garg

Vinculum
by Dr Jaideep Singh Chadha. Cedar Books. Pages 259. Rs 95.

Love is the most primary of emotions, yet also the most complex. Tomes have been written trying to decipher it, in its praise and also ones that insist it is over-hyped. Whatever the case may be, it definitely is indispensable in its myriad forms. Be it the love of a parent, child, friend or even a pet, it transgresses all barriers. And when cupid strikes at the vulnerable age between teenage and adulthood it can be the most soothing or the most devastating experience.

The author puts forth the meaning of Vinculum as a stepping-stone or an isthmus. The novel celebrates the initiation of emotions identified with young adulthood amid all its joys and sorrows. One man’s love can be lust for another. Vinculum echoes the intensity of infatuation at this delicate phase in life. The author’s familiarity with the locales of Shimla is evident as he is an alumnus of Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla. The college forms the perfect setting for a youthful tryst. He has also written Please Mom! It’s My Life and The Funny Side of Golf and has recently been awarded the Vijay Rattan.

The main plot revolves around four friends whose escapades, triumphs and tribulations are in integral part of cumulative lives. What transpires with one of them certainly affects all the others as well. Pushpinder or Pai, the lead character narrates the story starting with the demise of one of them. For him it is a loss that knows no words and one that cannot be forgotten. All that he can do to fill the void is dwell over the pleasant memories that he can hold in his heart and cherish forever. His inability to relate to the lifeless body of his closest companion is understandable and evokes empathy. It stirs up his memory and launches into a reverie. The account of all that transpires among the friends at the medical college is enough to make one understand the sense of loss that he feels.

At times the story leads one to think that such situations are far fetched and that they could not be farther from the truth. Be it the nymphomaniacs that they encounter or the wild midnight brawls, they all border on the surreal. But then again, is truth not always stranger than fiction? Tamanna as the protagonists love interest is a whiff of fresh air in the plethora of murky romances. In a world where alliances are formed on convenience, she takes a stand for her true love to stay where it should—always in the heart. Where it eventually leads her can be best described as destiny.

The narrative is simple, but not devoid of liveliness. The ambiance of the medical college has been well recreated. The author has rooted the novel well to its location and it does not aspire to be firangi, which serves it well. It would have indeed been incomplete without the quintessential Punjabi wedding, a funeral and punctuated with lots of spicy exploits. But too much of a good thing can also be bad, and the story does get a bit cliched at times. By and large, a good one-time read.

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