And now we bring one more category to the Iss Pyar Ko Kya Naam Doon Hall of Fame (IHF)...Notable Mentions.
These are those particular pieces which if left unmentioned in IHF would be either sheer lunacy or mere criminal intent.
The World of Iss Pyar Ko Kya Naam Doon
The Games We Play by Bingala
[Mature Content]
In my review I have called this a “slow starter” and I have been asked to clarify (not by the author, but by someone who is as avid a reader as I am) as to why I would qualify this as a slow starter. It's a reasonable enough question, and while I am not changing my original review, I feel it's fair to provide a clarificatory note.
The first 15 to 17 chapters I would say are the build up to the start of the games, so they are softer, mellower and are understandably less “action packed” (if I may used the words in relation to a romantic piece) vis-à-vis any actual high voltage incidents, but are more of an acclimatization of two people who are getting familiar with each other and their relationship and their feelings for each other, both emotional and physical. However, the use of the words “slow starter” do not in any manner suggest that the pace should have been any faster, it would have destroyed the entire piece! It is just a simple statement of fact that this particular story has a slow gradual build up, but the words slow starter should not be interpreted to mean that it is boring or lacking in interesting exchanges and anecdotes. I hope that clarifies the situation.
A slow starter...but picks up as it goes along and then lands with a boom and packs a lethal punch as well...so you are left wondering whether it was the same piece that you started out with. Obviously well written otherwise it would not be listed here...but what makes it stand out are two things...first and foremost is the manner in which it has been built up...i found the pace astounding...and that is definitely saying something for the piece...i started it and then decided to give it up..coz i found it a bit on the slow side...but then on another day, i decided i have to give it another shot coz the writing definitely had something about it and may be i was being way too impatient, what with all the super intense stuff i had been reading of late...so i gave it another shot...and i was not disappointed in fact quite the opposite..i was blown away!!!! I simply loved the way the story has developed...its gradual build up from a sort of romance to a grudging recognition of love (for more than one character) to a thrill a minute sort of adventure and well...the cliff hanger...not a single event or moment is out of place...then the second point is this snappy trick the author has of quoting couplets, lines from songs, and well other authors...but this is a tricky venture...for just as much as enhancing the piece and the mood..it could very well spoil it if the correct songs, lines or ashaars are not chosen...one has to compliment the author for choosing just the correct piece for the correct moment.
So definitely recommended...please do read...if you haven't already
Sliding Doors
The Reason I Breathe by Lyra 99
There is a line from Faiz Sahib's famous poem that i was reminded of when i read this piece..."aur bhi gham hain zamane mein mohabbat ke siwa...rahattein aur bhi hain aik wasl ki rahat ke siwa"...but really...are there?
Unrequited love..unattainable love..which of the two can a soul survive...Both these emotions have been so eloquently portrayed by the writer and then pieced together to meld into one. This is indeed a heart wrenching piece. The play of emotions and the dynamics of the ASR and Khushi relationship is reminiscent of IPKKND. The additions are extremely well handled and not intrusive and have been woven into the story with extreme care.
Definitely a piece worth reading.
Fate Mate by Karmachameleon
Having out grown Cinderella stories with my pigtails i was not hopeful when i started out on the voyage that is Fate Mate...and to top it up high school romance was certainly not to my taste even when I could be excused for indulging in school girl fantasies..but it is the writer's accomplishment that Fate Mate is actually neither a fairy tale nor a college romance...its so much more. Its beautifully crafted..painstakingly "evented"...the characters are well developed...and is breezing along merrily. The young ASR and Khushi have retained their personalities impeccably and..perhaps on a parallel universe their TV personas could have been an extension of their Fate Mate bond...subject of course to both of them having suffered amnesia. So if you read one...shall i say...ASR and KKG junior version...give Fate Mate a shot.
Intoxicated by Arisai
[Mature Content]
This piece embodies the concept of "Sliding Doors"...an interesting read...just because its so different and unlike anything else i have read so far. Not an easy plot / background and dangerous liaisons but very well handled...it could have so easily turned into a sleaze fest at the hand of a less careful writer...(judgmental reader Alert!!...dont bother reading if you are looking for picture perfect ASR and Khushi).
In Games We Play, Arnav is listening to Sitting on the Dock of the Bay by Ottis, one of my personal favorites. I just couldnt resist it....so enjoy!
Wow... when I started writing this, I had no idea that people would read it... I wrote it because it made me happy to do so. But to those you read it, found that they liked it even a little - Thank you so very much. <3 and hugs.
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