Blood is thicker than water. Says who?

Words can have disastrous effects. They can push one into a bottomless chasm of nothingness. That’s what we realise even as we delve into this book. The first chapter ends with words that not only hit Sid like a thunderbolt but also have a potent impact on the reader, making it difficult not to empathise with him, even to an extent that you start hoping that he does not lose the one person he cherishes the most.

The book’s byline: ‘Blood is thicker than water. Says who?’ encapsulates the profundity of the story that revolves around Sid, Samyu and Kavita

Their life is picture-perfect, as Sid feels on the night of his little one, Samyu’s first birthday. He has no idea of what lies ahead. Kavita’s sudden revelation that night reels Sid, turning his life topsy-turvy. The first thought as a reader I failed to understand as to what propelled Kavita to do what she did. Her life with Sid lacked nothing. However, above all, stands the question: question: how could she imperil the life of her baby Samyu? The oft-repeated saying, ‘Love is blind’ comes across as true, though one wonders if it cannot foresee the oh-so-obvious—and, may I add, hideous—consequences. How could she pay such a hefty price on a relationship that offered nothing in return? And is she not aware of how closely intertwined the father-daughter duo’s lives are?

Sid and Samyu are inseparable, to say the least. And, one of the binding factors is the jabberwockies between them; a never-ending chain of babbles that might seem nonsensical to others, but hold deeper meanings for the two of them, perhaps even going beyond meaningful utterances.

Iyer beautifully brings forth the fact that the meaningful words that the world gives so much importance to holds no water compared to these inane words and even the unsaid messages of the hearts. As you sift through the pages, Samyu’s babbles—even when does in her sleep while perhaps dreaming of playing with her father—has a genuine impact on readers. Soon, you start to understand as to why Sid responds to them. However, in this beautiful scenario lies the ugly reality of separation and an uglier custody battle.

The bitter custody battle in the courtroom also drags the reader into the gloomy predicament of what destiny holds. Like Sid, the reader knows that no matter what he does, the verdict might invariably lean towards the mother. However, again like Sid, the reader perhaps misses the larger game of life. It has its own ways of unfolding, one among them takes place in this book.

The story is an emotionally draining one. Such is its influence that it draws forth one’s sensitivities to the fore, some of them even traumatic, though eventually leading to a cathartic effect. The book is a must read to fathom the prominence of relations that go beyond a lifetime. The chapter on past life regression adds value to the conviction of the probability of being linked from earlier births (if you believe in it), thereby endorsing the fact that love travels beyond time.

Jabber Wockiers by Rajessh M Iyer is a sincere portrayal of an inseparable bond between the two protagonists. The reader gets caught up in the labyrinth of intermingled emotions, compelling her to ponder over various facets of life.

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Jayabala Girish

Jayabala Girish is assistant professor at the School of Vocational Education, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. Prior to this, she worked as a lecturer in a junior college of commerce for over two decades.[/column]