Review: When Our Worlds Meet Again by Aniesha Brahma

WHEN OUR WORLDS MEET AGAIN

by Aniesha Brahma

YA Romance / Contemporary

160 pages

Two years after the events of 'When Our Worlds Collide', Zayn and Akriti are now leading extremely different lives. Akriti has come back from her stint at the business school and running her mother's café. Zayn has run into trouble in his PhD program and has come home for a break. 
While he thinks that things are just as he’d left them two years ago, that is far from the truth. In a last ditch attempt to make Akriti remember the connection they had once shared, Zayn tries to recreate all their memories. 
But things are never the same when collided worlds meet again...

MY TIDBITS

With lots of heart, tough questions surrounding life, family and romance slam against the questions of goals and the paths a person desires to take.

Now back from business school, Akriti has taken over her mother's cafe and plays mom to her younger step-siblings, since her real father and her step-mother can't seem to keep their own lives in order. She's under quite a bit of stress as she tries to juggle the constant responsibilities. And then, Zayn shows up again, taking a break from his PhD since things aren't going as smoothly as he'd like. This is the last distraction Akriti needs, especially when Zayn's ex still has her claws out. Akriti needs to figure out what she wants and what she needs to do to get to a point where her life is back where it needs to be.

This is the second book in the series and should be read in the order of the series, since the story builds on the happenings of the last book.

While this could be considered a romance, it's so much more. Akriti is still in love with Zayn but knows that, at this time, it's a romance with no future. Her inner struggle comes across as a realistic and understandable tug-a-war, and it's clear that she's got enough on her plate in other aspects of life. The romance is well done, especially when taking this into consideration. There are heated moments, but they aren't without a bitter after taste. And yet, the required desire and hope also builds to keep the reader guessing whether or not it will work out in the end. It's well woven with just the right amount of zest and sour.

As said, this is more than romance. So much more. The author touches upon some tough subjects of family, alcoholism and knowing when to draw a wall. Akriti's struggles hit home, and it's hard not to feel for her as she attempts to come to grips with everything. The friends around her offer the right support and humorous reliefs to keep the tale from growing overly serious, yet holding the message and tension in grip.

This is an easy read. Dialogue controls the pacing and plot, leaving descriptions to a minimum. While I missed a little more depth on the scene end of things, the writing style keeps a steady pace which makes it hard to put the book down. The relationships between the characters and emotions remain as the constant focus, which works nicely for the theme.

Readers who love heart, difficult romances and a fighting spirit will surely enjoy diving into these pages.

Sneak Peek: When Our Worlds Meet Again by Aniesha Brahma!

~ Book Blitz ~
When Our Worlds Meet Again 
by Aniesha Brahma
YA/NA Romance
16th November 2018

Two years after the events of 'When Our Worlds Collide', Zayn and Akriti are now leading extremely different lives. Akriti has come back from her stint at the business school and running her mother's café. Zayn has run into trouble in his PhD program and has come home for a break. While he thinks that things are just as he’d left them two years ago, that is far from the truth. In a last ditch attempt to make Akriti remember the connection they had once shared, Zayn tries to recreate all their memories. But things are never the same when collided worlds meet again. 




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Sneak Peek

Prologue

2015.

Akriti was sitting at the cash counter of her mother’s little café going over the expenses for the day. Her headphones were plugged into her ears as she listened to songs on her phone. Her laptop was propelled open in front of her as she made notes on what else needed to be done the next day.

In the two years that she had been gone, the café had not changed at all. Her mother had kept all the renovations that Akriti and her colleagues had done two years ago. The only difference was that now there was a bulletin board next to the chalkboard menu that had been installed just a few weeks ago. On the bulletin board hung a poster that announced that next week’s Poetry Slam would start at 6PM sharp, and Suzanna needed to be contacted for early registration.

Akriti finished her work and shut down her laptop. She looked around the café in grim satisfaction and let out a happy little sigh. The music from her phone suddenly stopped playing. Glancing down she saw that her phone had started buzzing, flashing a number she had not seen on her phone in quite a while.

Debating for a minute, she received the call.

“Hi, Zayn.”

Airports have seen more sincere kisses than weddings it is said. As Zayn Banerjee waited to catch his flight back home, he witnessed one too many couples bidding each other teary eyed goodbyes. It was watching these strangers that he remembered how it had felt two years ago when he had left his home behind in pursuit of higher studies. How he had come to this alien land which had eventually led him to a lot of heartache and misery!

But there had been something good about those two years. There had been someone who had seen past all his imperfections and focused only on the good that was in him. Who had been his friend against all odds and yet, they had fallen out of touch with each other over the course of two years. He wondered if she was still using the same number. He wondered if she still had his number saved.

On an impulse, he pulled out his phone and dialed her number. She answered it on the third ring.

“Hi, Zayn.”

“Akriti.”

He was pleased as punch that she remembered him.

“Did you want something?”

“I am just calling to let you know that I’d be home soon.”

“Oh.”

“Oh? Honestly, I was hoping for a reaction better than oh.”

“Zayn, it’s really late here. Let’s talk when you’re in town?”

“I’ll do you one better. I’ll come see you.”

“Great. Safe flight.”

Then the line went dead. Zayn stared at the phone, wondering if their friendship was lost over the course of time. This wasn’t like the Akriti he remembered.

This wasn’t his Akriti at all.

Akriti hung up the phone feeling utterly drained. Once upon a time this was a source of her happiness but tonight he was a cause of her stress. The last thing she needed was for Zayn to come barging into her life once more.

She remembered all the memories that they had made together two years ago. The time when she’d finally felt okay to let her guard down and just be herself. It seemed to her like it was a lifetime ago. But he’d left. Like everyone else in her life and she had found herself consumed by her loneliness. Going off to business school had only made Akriti revert back to her old self.

That’s a lie they tell you, Akriti thought bitterly to herself, as she put her headphones back on and started listening to music again, time doesn’t heal a damn thing. It just burns the memories into your mind.

And here she is...

Aniesha Brahma knew she wanted to be a writer since she was six years old. She was schooled in Dolna Day School and went on to pursue B.A., M.A., and M.Phil in Comparative Literature from Jadavpur Univeristy. She currently lives in Kolkata, with her family and five pet cats. She is the author of All Signs Lead Back to You, When Our Worlds Collide, The Guitar Girl and The Secret Proposal. She compiled and edited the 10 volumes series, 'Children's Classic Stories' with love and great efforts.

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