It happens for a Reason: Preeti Shenoy, Westland, Rs.200, pp.261

Preeti Shenoy is the new gen author who could bring out the emotions in lucid prose. In her earlier novels, most of the times, the protagonist a woman, invariably passes through several emotional upheavals; they were well etched with sensitivity by Ms Shenoy.
 
‘It happens for a Reason’ is the first person narration of a pretty Vipasha, who exactly fits into the new generation of self opinionated, head strong woman. Vipasha has her education in a boarding school at Kodaikkanal as her parents are not just rich but also indifferent to her life. Her soul mate is her Keralite classmate Suchi who has a loving family which pampers not just Suchi but also Vipasha.
 
Vipasha’s friendship with Ankush, a handsome young man from Mumbai film world changes her life topsy-turvy after her school education. She has a cake walk into the world of cat walk, modeling, thanks to Ankush who introduces her to his photographer uncle. There is no looking back for Vee, (Vipasha) till within a year that is when she is eighteen becomes pregnant because of her frequent rendezvous with Ankush. Except Vee, none around her are for her motherhood. But, Vee goes ahead and gives birth to a baby boy and starts her life all alone with the support from Suchi and Manav, her two close buddies.
 
She takes up two entirely unlikely professions; one the care taker of a dog-boarding facility and the other, a gym instructor. By the time her son Ariyan turns fifteen her life also takes a rough ride. With the deaths of some dogs in her Paw Factor the business nosedives. She stands at the cross roads without knowing the future. Ankush reappears in her life through Aryan and a few dramatic scenes lead to a predictable climax.
 
The story keeps one glued till Ankush reappears in the scene. After that, like the Paw Factor, the lead to a climax with twists and turns falls flat. The sob stories of Vee’s parents and Akush sound deliberate inclusions without any tangible purpose.
 
‘It happens for a Reason’ does have some touching moments but not the ones towards the end because most of them sound artificial and filmy.
 
But, what exactly happened with a reason here in the whole story is that I just could not fathom. The characters are fancy and some of them are really angelic like Manav and professions are exotic like modeling, landscape designing, dog boarding, DJ to name a few.
 
It is a good read from Preeti Shenoy, but definitely not the best one.