So, what have you been reading in recent days? I have been finishing two books that I had started, one by one. First, I finished a book by Thomas Hardy and then I finished a book by a rather new author, Pravin Anand, Mumtaz and Taj Mahal. I will be sharing both the reviews with my readers here but first, let me share my opinions on the second book that I finished, Mumtaz and Taj Mahal. This book is very simple in terms of language and also in terms of the plot. The love story of Mumtaz and Shahjahan, their becoming from their beings – one humble and one princely. I will share my honest and frank opinion about this book.

The book has several chapters, 41 to be precise, and the chapters have been divided into three parts – before the betrothal, after the marriage and after Shahjahan becoming the King and Mumtaz becoming his chief Queen. One thing that is common in all these chapters the sheer presence of love. Mumtaz and Shahjahan are picturised in a deep bond of love between them which does not end even after the death of the Queen and the king thereafter as they left the Taj behind.

However, more than romance, Pravin Anand has also tried to introduce to the readers how and why of the events. He also writes about the conspiracies and the crucial turns which affected many things. He has tried his best to make the story even compelling. Arjumand’s frequent visits to the harem and Khurram’s love for him… Khurram’s sense of beauty and a love for everything that was beautiful and eventually for the Lady of the Taj… Pravin Anand has tried his level best to capture all these aspects in his novel and he has largely succeeded. However, I must state here that the narrative does not suit the purpose or has been prepared with a rather simpler language. Another part to it is that it can be read very quickly and enjoyed by the readers who don’t have a too strong hold on the language that has colonised the world instead of the British, these days!

To Sum it up, Mumtaz and Taj Mahal is a novel that can be enjoyed for its romance and drama. Though it’s an evergreen theme that has been discussed in the novel, it will suit the youth readers as well as those who mainly read for entertaining themselves. You can get a copy of the book by visiting the Amazon link below:

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review by Sanjay Pandey for Indian Book Lovers