A BOOK INTERTWINING PHILOSOPHICAL DISCOURSE ON HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS AND SCI-FI

Book Review: "Within the Cocoon of Love" by Meena Mishra and Vishwas Vaidya

Many few books foray into mixing different genres in the same narrative, and those which do so delve into related genres. The author duo of Neena Mishra and Vishwas Vaidya has come out with the book “Within the Cocoon of Love”, which is a fictional discourse on human relationships intertwined with Science fiction. The book also delves into elements of criminology, psychology and Artificial intelligence.

The storyline follows the protagonist Pratiksha, who is a young college girl and is yet to fall into any relationship. A tall handsome lad called Bunty is secretly stalking her on social media, following her pictures and posts. He systematically and successfully tries to hook her, and her escapades at the farmhouse with Bunty go viral. However, she fights and escapes this bitter experience. She then decides to pursue a career in counselling and training in the area of emotional intelligence and human relationships.

However, there comes a twist in the story when she receives a phone call from her father telling her that he is speaking from the clouds! Then voices of a few more “departed souls” including her “past phoney lover” startle her by coming alive on her cell phone. How are the departed souls able to converse with Pratiksha? What futuristic technology is being used? The narrative then goes on to answer these questions.

The story talks about the phenomenon of puppy love and the relationships of today’s teenagers. It also details honey trapping and cyber crime, whose incidence is rising in the present world with increasing use of the internet and social media. However, in the second half of the book, there is a futuristic sci-fi twist, depicting an essence of technological innovation.

The narrative has a lot of layering, with many twists and turns. The book is fast-paced in the second half; however the narrative drags at places. The character development is good, with the characters being explored in depth. The writing is lucid, with usage of many adorned words in the narrative.

What makes the read interesting is that apart from delving into the nitty-gritty’s of Artificial intelligence and futuristic technology, the book also talks about emotional intelligence, and the grit and determination to persevere against all odds.

This is a riveting read which mixes technology with the riddle called human relationships and tries to debate many fundamental questions like why does one fall for a particular person only to discover an early expiry date stamped on such a relationship within the course of a few weeks, how to navigate the web of adult relationships ridden with real life constraints, and how far can technology go – can it bring alive your departed loved ones?

This book would interest readers who like to read about different genres intermixed in a single book. Those wanting to read a fiction about futuristic technology and Artificial Intelligence, along with a philosophical discourse on relationships can also pick up this book.