By Onkar Sharma

Romance stories rarely capture my attention, but Love It Was Never Meant for Me by Kulbhushan Chaudhary, alias KK, proved to be an exception. Despite sitting on my desk untouched for over a week, once I began reading, I found myself hooked until the very last page.

The book recounts the journey of a man encountering different women at various stages of his life, each love story unfolding with passion, heartbreak, and inevitable separation. Uniquely written in the third person, despite being autobiographical, the narrative lends itself to an engaging and introspective tone. KK, the protagonist and author, lays bare his experiences in a sequence of intense love encounters—with Nisha, Karuna, Meher, Swati, and Samriddhi—each relationship marked by moments of emotional highs and devastating endings.

Even KK’s marriage to Khushi, which lasted nearly eight years, ended in estrangement and separation, leaving readers empathetic to his unrelenting pursuit of love and the heartbreak that follows. The author effectively draws readers into a whirlwind of emotions, making them feel the weight of his longing, joy, and despair.

However, the story has its shortcomings. While the repetitive nature of KK’s relationships mirrors the cyclic pain of his life, it can feel monotonous, as if the same record is playing on a loop. Moreover, the narrative feels distinctly one-sided, leaving the voices of the women in his life underexplored. This omission creates a sense of imbalance, as readers are left yearning for a more nuanced portrayal of the female characters and their perspectives.

Despite these flaws, Love It Was Never Meant for Me remains an engaging read, with its raw honesty and evocative storytelling keeping readers captivated. It offers a poignant exploration of love, loss, and the complexities of human relationships, making it a worthwhile journey for those seeking an emotional and reflective read.