Book Review- She Loves Me He Loves Me Not

'She Loves Me, He Loves Me Not', written by Zeenat Mahal, was the first Pakistani author book I ever laid my hands on. Needless to say, I was smitten by it. It literally pulled me into it and I became a big fan of Ms. Zeenat Mahal. After reading this book, I searched for author's other books and finished reading them with great content. 

This is a love story at its heart. The social milieu in which it is set up is so relatable that you would feel being a part of it. The bickering between siblings, parents, spouse is quite normal and slice of life.
The story is set in Lahore and is about two families who are contrasting in wealth, status and ideologies. The two main protagonists are Fardeen and Zoyla. Fardeen is engaged to Neha, who is the quintessential upper society product. Fardeen has a brother and a sister(Swaba) who are Zoyla's friends. Swaba and Zoyla are BFFs. Zoyla has a childhood crush on Fardeen and thinks of him as 'Sun in all its glory'!
An accident creates ripples in the calm lives of characters and brings strong emotions to the fore. Fardeen's half face is burnt due to the accident and he is transformed into a bitter person. Neha does not want to continue relationship with a scarred man and this adds to the misery of volatile Fardeen.
Zoyla's family is conservative and does not take it lightly with her frequent trips to Swaba's house. This thought process presents a vulnerable situation in her life, the outcome of which alters the equation between Fardeen and Zoyla. They become husband and wife! Zoyla, being a gentle soul and positive individual gives time, space and patience to Fardeen to get adjusted to the new equation between them. On the other hand, Fardeen makes everyone walk on eggshells when interacting with him. One such instance makes Fardeen utter despicable things to Zoyla and she is left heartbroken. The other part of story deals with Fardeen realizing his folly and trying every trick up his sleeve to win Zoyla's heart back.
The interesting part of this story was the strong emotions portrayed by the characters. Every person is flawed either physically or otherwise, but to find inner beauty in them requires true love. This is a modern version of 'Beauty and the Beast' and does justice in bringing out the essence of the original story.
My recommendation is to read the story, enjoy the subcontinent culture and cherish the characters being close to reality.
Enjoy reading!