Second Wind | Minal Arora | Book Review
Second Wind by Minal Arora is a spiritual romance fiction that follows Rahul as he searches for his lost love, Maaya. In his directionless quest, he comes to unveil himself and be one with his core. It is a story that explores the subtle dynamics of relationships — the one we share with others and the one we have with ourselves.
Second Wind captures a baffled Rahul who is unhappy in his marriage and realises his true love in Maaya. However, Maaya is no longer around him to give love. In his harrowing search, he comes across a spiritual retreat and meets people coming from different walks of life. He gets to know about the struggles of each of them and further realises the complexities of our existence and relationships. Not to mention, the entire experience proves to be an enriching experience for him as he understands the energies, the occult practises, and most importantly, himself.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. This was my third book by the author and happens to be a sequel to her earlier work, Maaya. Maaya was more about the female protagonist of the story while Second Wind follows Rahul’s journey. While I didn’t like Maaya a lot, back then; I can now see her side of the story more clearly. I guess it’s true when we say that as we evolve as readers and humans, we tend to derive a different meaning out of the books. I could now better wrap my head around Rahul’s version, why he did what he did, his inner turmoil in an unsuccessful relationship, his craving for his one true love.
The book very well highlights how all of us are composed of both masculine and feminine energies. None is superior to the other. In fact, both of them are essential for the right balance. The writing is wonderful, rich at places, and gives us an insight into spirituality. The characters are real as they expose their flaws and vulnerabilities which is amazing! The two things that turned me off were –
- A rushed climax that I couldn’t absorb in the fleeting moments
- I’d have liked if Maaya’s story was summarised in the beginning. This would make reading easier for a new reader of this book.
In a nutshell, Second Wind was a lovely experience and I’d recommend it to the ones who would be up for reading a mature love story :)