A Bird on My Windowsill

 Book Review- A Bird on My Windowsill

Author- Manav Kaul

Translated by- Nandini Kumar Nickerson

Cover design- Shadab Khan

First things first. The cover page of the book caught my eye and actually made me want to dig deep into the mind of the author. The author writes in his simplistic yet charming style, about the experiences he came across and also about his dreams and at times there is an over-lapping of the real with the unreal. Manav Kaul , who is an established actor shows the facet of him as a person who has a way with words. His poetry and prose entices the reader and our thoughts linger on the pages wanting to understand the  mind of the writer and how he sees things. 

This is the first time I am reading his work and it was truly impressive! In fact, this book inspires me to write about my memorable experiences. This book is not a story but a collection of anecdotes and thoughts that flow in the author's mind. The written words are heartfelt and have a touch of nostalgia to them. We connect with the experiences and it gives us a better understanding of what the author, actor, director Manav Kaul is all about. 

Manav Kaul's books are written in Hindi yet the book was well translated and has kept the essence of the beauty of his writing intact. I am sure that the book will be much better in the original because all said and done, the regional language has its own endearing charm that cannot be wholly felt in a translated version. My advice is that if you read books in Hindi, do go for the original Hindi version of the book. Other bestsellers from Manav Kaul are ' Theek Tumhaare Peeche'  (Right Behind You) and ' Prem Kabootar' (Love Pigeon) How interesting these titles sound, right?

There are so many lovely poetic verses and lines all through these pages that we feel comforted and tranquil. The author speaks of solitude, friendship, love and many other feelings that he comes across and the reader becomes one with his thoughts and aspirations. We too take a journey through his life and at the same time also delve into our lives that has met similar situations. In the end , all our lives are not so different yet so different from each others. This book is like a breath of fresh air that blows after a really hot and sunny day giving us respite from our mundane lives and making us feel the beauty of the life in all its hues. This book is a keepsake and we can keep going back to this one for solace and to feel the beauty of words.