SUJATA Parashar’s In Pursuit of Ecstasy is a novel revolving around the lives of four youngsters, coming from different backgrounds, studying the same college. The simple plot tells the story of how their lack of communication with their parents lands them in trouble. The protagonists are Aparajita, Siddharth, Aniket (single children) and Deepanita, who has two siblings. All of them have their personal dreams and ambitions, not shared and definitely not encouraged by their parents. So they take to skillfully lying to pursue their passions. The villain in the piece is Ritesh, a drug dealer, who is looking for lucrative customers to earn a few quick bucks. The youngsters unwittingly fall into his trap and they are arrested by the police and sentenced to various terms in prison. But the novel ends in a happy note of romance and reconciliation. A one-sitting reading novel. This is the second novel from Parashar who runs an NGO for marginalised children, youth and women.
(Rupa Publications India Pvt Ltd,7/16, Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi 110 002)
