Short-stories can be riveting; when done right. Stephen King said, “A short story is like a kiss in the dark by a stranger.” Whether a reader is looking to immerse in love, loss, mystery, or humor, short stories provide instant gratification while leaving room for introspection, reflection, and thrill making it worth their time in just a handful of pages. One such book is Vasudha Sahgal’s debut anthology – ‘Almost Perfect, but Mostly Not’. This collection of 14 contemporary short stories poignantly reminds readers that life is full of imperfections and uncertainties. And when it comes to human nature and behavior, what appears obvious is just the tip of the iceberg. This aspect makes the book an engaging read for readers of any genre since it captures life in its grief and glory in the aftermath of failed relationships, desperate ambitions, and what not!
Author: Vasudha Sahgal | Publisher: Rupa Publications | Genre: Short-stories | Pages: 203
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“There was no signature but she didn’t need one. She knew who it was from. The writer had shared this poem with her once. He had told her that he wasn’t a poet and was quite sure that this was the only poem he would ever write.”
Through these 14 tales, Sahgal brings us astonishingly personal and relevant stories of people that could very well be living, breathing around us, with their own almost perfect but mostly not sagas tightly clutched to their hearts. In the story ‘When Life Gives You Lemons, Write a Novel’, Lily captures her own bitter-sweet story through a book where the protagonist represents her own life quite impeccably. In Banker Cabby, Maya develops an almost familial bond with a cabby but is she ready to know his secret that would change her life too? The Painting brings together an artist and a struggling model, for ephemeral days of bliss only to part them again. In ‘Delhi Drama, Turkish Trauma’, Maya seeks solace from her Delhi life when she finds the love of her life cheating on her and escapes to Turkey only to be caught in a whirlwind of another romantic trauma. ‘Tony de Souza’s Date with Death’ has Tony contemplating pulling the curtains down on his life and the impact his decision might have on his son.
“To make matters worse, every corner of Delhi reminded her of him – their favorite sushi place, the movie theatres, the coffee shops where they had savoured oatmeal lattes and even the parks where they had jogged together.”
Sahgal deftly dissects the layers of seemingly perfect lives, exposing the vulnerabilities, complexities, and struggles that define people. Each story captures a different aspect of human relationships—love and longing, hope and despair, ambition and failure—presenting characters who are achingly real and relatable, strong and surreal, lost and lonely, but with the will to live life on their own terms; no matter the odds. Through her keen observations and emotive story-telling, Sahgal resolutely highlights the beauty in life’s imperfections such as heartbreaks, uncertainties, and failures, reminding readers that these experiences have a lot to learn and grow from. The protagonists of each of these stories are written to perfection and are an epitome of hope, determination, and perseverance. Laced with bitter-sweet poignancy, they give much fodder to ponder over, and perhaps, contemplate if you want to live life like a winner or a whiner. The settings are mostly based in India, with occasional cameos from London and Turkey, one travels through the streets and sidewalks with apparent ease, feeling home even in foreign locations. The credit goes to the well-balanced descriptions and narrations that do justice to the stories.
“He remembered looking out of his room’s window in Kolkata, beyond the street hawkers, the grime and the beggars, towards an unexplored horizon. The look in this girl’s hazel eyes reminded him of that same longing.“
While all the stories are wholesome, Tony De Souza’s Date with Death, The Painting, Six Feet of Separation were standouts for the sheer beauty of writing, the inner struggles unveiled, and the impact of the unsaid; as the essence of these stories is going to last longer than readers can anticipate. With impeccable writing, passionately beautiful descriptions, relatable characters, and mundane but sublime stories, this anthology feels like a warm embrace from a loved one assuring that good times are just around the corner. A literary feat that sure doesn’t feel like a debut!
Please note: I received an ARC from the author but the review remains unbiased.
Vasudha Sahgal is an author, freelance journalist and screenwriter. Her storytelling journey began early—at the age of eight, she wrote her first story about a bunch of friendly witches. Over the years, Vasudha has contributed to publications such as The Tribune, Daily Post, The Times of India, HuffPost and The Quint. Her short story was included in the anthology Love in the Times of WhatsApp and Other Stories. She has also authored two illustrated children’s books. Additionally, she has sold the intellectual property rights to her first feature screenplay to a production house.
Beyond writing, Vasudha manages operations at her family’s precision engineering company, Micron Instruments Pvt. Ltd. She is passionate about travel, food, words and our existence in the world. Almost Perfect, but Mostly Not marks her debut solo venture into short fiction.
