In Pursuit of a Lesser Offence by Sujata Parashar

Sangeet Mishra and Avinash Vyas find each other’s paths crossing at the most inopportune moments. First time they meet, Sangeet was recovering from being in a bad relationship and Avinash was a married man. Their chance meeting soon turned into something that was good yet something that they were not looking for. When they parted ways, they didn’t think that their paths would ever cross again. But it does and that is when they discover things about each other that needed to be dealt with…

Sujata Parashar has a slight feminist style of writing that is very welcome at this point. Her leading lady is a strong character supported by another female character who demands attention too. Through Sangeet and Kanupriya, the author has reflected the section of modern women who are indeed strong and go-getters. The men in this story play the second fiddle. Even though it is essentially Sangeet and Avinash’s story, Avinash somehow ends up being the wallflower that brings something to the story yet is not the main focus. He is handsome and loveable character, but just not one of the strongest pillars of the story. I liked this fact very much because it is one of the highlights of the book that sets it apart from the rest. We are so used to having a man in the spotlight that we love our heroes, but this story gives us a woman (or two) in the spotlight! The characters develop over the years and throughout the story – leaving us with something very strong and stable in the end.

Sujata’s style of narration and storytelling is very crisp. The best part is that the story feels very real and believable because of the situations and characters along with the narration and language used. Though this is a work of fiction, I wouldn’t be surprised if somebody stands up and says that this is so similar to their story.

Loved it and definitely worth your time.