Because... Every Raindrop Is a Hope : Book Review

Because... Every Raindrop Is a Hope
By Sankalp Kohli & Mansi Sharma  
Review by Ila Garg

I’ve never been to Mumbai, but novelists Sankalp Kohli & Mansi Sharma made me feel as if I had been there for a long time. The picturesque descriptions in, Because… Every Raindrop Is a Hope, of the Mumbai railway station, monsoon, beaches, etc. makes you feel that you are walking on Mumbai streets with the Protagonist. 

The story is very touching and belongs to the romantic genre. Protagonist, Raj, with his two friends, Rohan & Rahul enters the college and explore a different phase of their life. Raj looks for a distraction initially to overcome his recent break up with Shruti.

The 192 page book comprises of 15 chapters, followed by an Epilogue. The use of poetic verses in the beginning of every chapter is the main reason I loved this book, because they prepare you for the chapter ahead and adds clarity. The story on the whole is quite meaningful. The novelists have tactfully used nostalgia to narrate most of the events occurred in Raj’s life.

The story keeps moving in past and present. One can easily find a lot of quotable lines beautifully interwoven within the novel. Overall it’s a fantastic read and gives a lot of insights to help you know and understand the various facets of love.

Besides love, hostel life and friendship are an integral part of the story line. Ragging, Manipulations, college politics, betrayals, add to the drama. College elections and fests are also included.

There are some intriguing events occurring in the course of the novel too. For instance, there’s a man mentioned who guides Raj, the protagonist, at times when he gets off-track or seriously deviates from the right path. The description gives the novel a metaphysical touch!

Raj confuses love with infatuation at many points and thus keeps shifting from Shruti to Mehak and to Shruti again, only to realise that he is better left alone. This aloofness brings more pain to him than peace. He betrays his best friend by making out with his girlfriend, Debby, and thus reaches downfall. 

Readers get the message loud and clear as they go further down the novel, “You Love, You Lose, Still You Live.” The larger theme of the story is “Love never ends, Hope also shouldn't”. 

Ultimately, Raj indulges in drugs, alcohol, frauds, and moves away from the people who really cared for him. His world turns upside down. He is now guilty of many crimes together and struggles hard to save his identity but fails miserably. 

The real Raj dies inside him. A virtual Raj is born instead. The Raj who is a loner, has no friends, is used by his girlfriend Debby only for monetary and carnal pleasure, gets tired ultimately and finds it difficult to recognize himself. 

The too many dilemmas of Raj’s life is just one of the reasons you want to keep turning the pages to find out what happens in Because… Every Raindrop Is a Hope. Raj tries to persuades himself innumerable times that he is doing the right things, till the time he gets tired and is doomed to destruction.

To find out whether he comes out as a saviour or surrenders to his doomed fate, he gets his love or not, he is able to discover or not the mystery man who always helps him in the time of need; you will have to read the novel, Because… Every Raindrop Is a Hope.