Treasure Within Dreams
By Shetall Ramsinghani
Review By Ila Garg
‘Treasure Within Dreams’, a novel by Shetall Ramsinghani is published by Revolt House Publishing. The cover is beautiful and reveals the fact that the readers are going to meet a fortune teller "psychic". It seems like a mystic novel at the first glance.
The blurb reads as, “A young man who is under-confident, even in his forties, he is still searching for directions to lead his life. His family, friends, relatives and neighbours everyone discard him as a useless fellow. The day comes when he decides to leave this world. On his way, he meets Sulu the dog who changes his life and makes synchronicity enter his life. One thought leads to another and the time comes when he meets his past self. In the wisdom of past life stories, the thrill of adventure and vicinity of immense nature he discovers deeper truths about himself. The ability to find Treasure(s) within Dreams surprises him the most. To unravel the hidden mysteries of the magical world of Princess Sheba and Kaapo, read the sample chapters and experience the Treasure within Dreams.”
The story is set in a village of Japan, Shimamaki, and revolves around Kaapo, a middle-aged man who is struggling to find a path to tread on. He is confused and often unfortunate when it comes to a career. He is mocked at by everyone, which makes him suicidal. However, as luck would have it, he is unsuccessful at dying too. He is treated like a loser by all till he meets a dog, who he later names Sulu. That's an interesting name, isn't it? To find out what it means and why he chooses this particular name for the dog, do read the first few chapters of the book and you won't want to stop thereafter.
One day, tired of his endless struggles, Kaapo runs off with Sulu and ends up getting a job at a fair, where as fate would have it, he meets Harpreet—a psychic from India. He starts earning at the fair and befriends the guard, who willingly takes care of Sulu while Kaapo is at work. The bond between Kaapo and Sulu is elaborately explained and instantly connects the readers. A dog, after all, is a man's best friend. Even when the entire world is against him, Sulu stays and loves and shows faith in Kaapo.
But his struggle story doesn't end here. More complications arise when he gets in a fight with his boss at the fair and loses the low-paying job. He seeks help from Harpreet and she promises to help him find answers as she finds him quite simple and innocent. She takes him with her as he has nowhere else to go. She makes him drink a potion, which changes the lives of all our three characters—Kaapo, Sulu and Harpreet. As a reader, it totally gripped me. The flow of the story and events will keep the readers biting their nails.
What happens when Kaapo drinks the magical potion? How does Sulu end up drinking the potion and how does it affect him? How does the potion change Harpreet's life? How does Kaapo land in Ireland and then in Bolivia? Who is the princess named Sheba? How is she linked to Kaapo? Will Kaapo finally be the man he is supposed to be? Who is Gary?
Now, let's talk about what happens once Kaapo realises he is not in Japan anymore. He meets an old lady who is sitting with a black cat. She reveals that Kaapo is now in the 14th century and that his soul has travelled back in time to find some answers. She then narrates him the tale of Princess Sheba and her bravery. How she is lured by a wizard and how she is heart broken on finding the truth and later sets on a difficult journey of searching and rescuing her father, the king.
She first frees her grandfather from a spell and he reveals her the path to find her father. She meets baby dragon, giant bird, fairy godmother, unicorn, mermaid and other fantastical beings on her journey. It is interesting to note how Sheba's dreams talk to her and are her power.
Gary, who is close to Sheba tells her to learn telepathy. Why does he do that?
How the princess travels through forests and villages, and find answers and talks to people in her dreams to reach Bolivia is explained in great detail. Hereon the main story begins in the land of Bolivia, which is one of South America's most intriguing countries. Through the writer's words, we get to understand the traditions of Bolivia. The landscapes are beautifully elaborated upon. The readers are transferred back in time through the author's words and are able to visit a land that is pure and has a balance of magic and reality, thus, creating a magic realism.
The most interesting part is the journey to the Isla del Sol, which is the temple of the Sun. Sheba and her Guardian Angel are warmly welcomed here by the priest. Now, the book may seem to have biblical references as it talks about this place as the place where the birth of humanity took place. References to the Lord of Miracles and the God of the Underworld are interesting to note. El Tio, who is the God of the Underworld is described as a combination of good and bad.
But does Sheba find her father after all this turmoil? I will leave this question unanswered for the readers to read the book and find out.
Once the story ends, the author gets the readers back to where Kaapo is. He is in tears as he realises it was his story after all. So if Kaapo is Sheba, who is Sulu then? I won't reveal it yet. :)
The book has a lot of editorial errors, however, the story is so good that these can be ignored if you aren't a grammar nazi.
This 266-page book is not a quick read as it involves a lot of soul searching. It’s compelling and captivating, however, one needs to delve within the words to reach the end so it will require a little more time than any other book of similar word count. The scenes change quickly, thus the pace is good but for an occasional reader, a little effort is required as the story takes you in the past within the world of dreams.
Ratings: 3.5/5
Buying Link: Amazon
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