When we read a good book, many things could tug at our heartstrings. An author’s note is usually not one of those. But after reading the author’s note of Till Fate Do Us Part by Smita D. Jain, I instantly knew it was going to be a heartfelt, and praiseworthy.
The author writes, and I quote:
“As a parent blessed with the privilege of caring for a special-needs child, I have been gifted with a lens into a unique and deeply inspiring world. Through my interactions with my daughter, I have come to understand the strength that resides in those who face life’s challenges with unwavering determination and boundless love. It is from this wellspring of understanding that the character of the child in this novel takes shape- a tribute to the resilience and beauty of those who navigate life’s journey against all odds.”
Till Fate Do Us Part by Smita D. Jain, is an entertaining and emotional ride into the fragile world of modern marriages, the struggles of parenting a special needs child, and the duplicitous nature of destiny- sometimes playing a cupid, and sometimes a culprit; both with equal charm and ruthlessness.
The story revolves around Vedika, a modern woman of today trying to balance her corporate job, parenting a special needs child, and a marriage that is about to fall apart. Fates brings Vedika, and her husband, Rohan, in touch with Dr. Gaurang, a paediatric orthopaedic specialist owing to their daughter’s deteriorating medical condition. Dr. Gaurang, with his charming, sensitive, and sincere personality, enters Vedika’s already complex world, slowly blurring professional and personal lines. Will Vedika survive this storm? Will Dr. Gaurang turn out to be the medical genius needed for her daughter to beat the odds? Will Vedika and Rohan give their marriage another chance despite their fallout?
You will need to read the book for that.
I liked the way Vedika’s character has been developed. She is headstrong, sharp, and yet has her weak moments too. By depicting Vedika’s deepest fears associated to her child, and her emotional needs and her vulnerability at a time when her husband, is away for work, the author has masterfully probed into Vedika’s character both as a mother and as a woman. Hence, the relatability quotient of Vedika’s character is very high. She is a woman of today; educated, smart, and responsible. But she is also human. Her relationship with Dr. Gaurang is proof that we all desperately seek empathy and friendship during a difficult time. Dr. Gaurang, and Rohan’s characters have also been layered carefully, and they aren’t just men standing at the periphery for support.
The scenes written around Vedika’s struggle to balance work, hospital visits, expectations of in laws, and aging parents, are lucid and on point. They present a strong case for women who suffer consistently across all strata of our patriarchal society.
Smita D. Jain’s storytelling deserves to be applauded for its simple, engaging, and heartening depiction of a diverse set of complex issues. To touch upon a subject as sensitive, and difficult as caring for a special needs child, demands a herculean effort in terms of research of medical procedures, medicines, jargons etc. And the author seems to have emerged victorious in doing that.
Personally, I loved the chemistry that was slowly brewing between Dr. Gaurang and Vedika.
The hopeless romantic in me was rooting for some more magical and romantic moments while turning the pages, and was a tad bit disappointed when she did not find them! The part where Vedika takes an extreme step was unexpected but then that is why we read fiction. How else would we explore the unexpected? Kudos to the author to have kept the reader intrigued and bewildered till the end.
In short, this is a multifaceted story about a mother’s fight to beat destiny’s cruel play, a woman’s struggle to stay afloat despite a marriage hitting rock bottom, and the scent of romance somewhere in between. In that sense, it does cater to a larger readership.
Smita D Jain has adeptly woven an emotional, and impactful tale with some difficult, and delicate threads of love, marriage, and parenting.
If you are looking out for an intense, fast-paced, and engaging read then Till Fate Do Us Part by Smita D. Jain should be on your list.