THRICE UPON A TIME Voila is the proverbial mysterious girl; she is seventeen and has a legion of admirers whom she favours or scorns with an alarming inconsistency. 'Wordsy' is younger, still in school and inexplicably, the chosen boy in her life. "Why me?" he catches himself wondering often. That was only the first of many questions that Voila would leave unanswered. In the wonderland of their home with its rolling valleys and transparent streams, love and lovemaking came naturally as the rains and rainbows and Voila and Wordsy revelled in it. Why then does Voila disappear from Wordsy's life without a word or a goodbye? There is none to answer or explain. Wordsy carries this wound as his cross through his adult life, shutting out the world with his work, even as he climbs the ladder of success. Many years later, Saiyma, a feisty lawyer, battling her own shattered personal life, rescues Wordsy from his tower of grief. For a brief while, life seems to be finally working out for Wordsy. Thirty years too late, Voila resurfaces in Wordsy's life. The never-quite-forgotten love and passion reignite between the two. Voila however is still the mysterious and unpredictable creature she was, flying out of his life a week later, without a promise or an address. This time though Wordsy is determined to find her and unravel the mystery that is Voila. In the process, he is ready to forsake Saiyma, his career and his success. Wordsy does find Voila. What follows is a heart wrenching story that constantly changes its path as Wordsy and his unlikely allies set out on what seems a desperate mission to rescue Voila from her own self.
About the Author: ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jyoti Kumar Sarma has been writing all his life, first as a creative advertising professional for over 40 years and now, increasingly as a writer of fiction. Jyoti Kumar worked the advertising field in Bombay and Delhi, and headed Creative departments in several agencies - before going on to start his own agency. He was to leave the world of commercial communication following the call to be a communicator with a conscience, choosing to work in the area of strategic communication for Non-profits. Cuomo's Lament, his self-published debut novel, was styled in the school of nature writing - a subject and theme close to his heart and which garnered appreciation from readers in diverse countries. Thrice upon a Time, his second novel goes deep into human relationships that cannot escape the death-wish of imploding under unexplained and erratic behavior of one or both of the partners. Hidden angst surface without warning to destroy in an instant carefully nurtured lifetime of love and caring. When he's not busy working and meeting deadlines, Jyoti likes to travel. He's also a music buff and generally tells the time of the day depending on what he's listening to - Indian classical in the morning, Western classical at work (through headphones!), jazz and blues by evening. He lives in New Delhi with his family and is proud to proclaim that one is never too old to love... or be loved!