Book Review - The Quest for Nothing

The story - What happens when your aspirations and love are on a collision path?

The Quest for Nothing is the story of a young corporate executive who has everything going his way - a rewarding career, a loving wife and an enviable life, until...

Success is like a mirage. Every milestone that is achieved loses its significance to the next one in sight- a mad race that never ends.

Life is a series of crossroads. Every decision made determines the complexity of the path ahead- a maze of intricate choices.

The race is on and the stakes are high. Akash has made some choices along the way; blind choices that have led him to the midst of a sinister, life threatening corporate scam. Will he manage to redeem himself or become yet another casualty of this mad dash?

A contemporary saga of treachery, deceit and ruthless ambition that explores the fundamentals of human relationships and love.

My take - To start with, the title gives away absolutely nothing about what is inside the book. I was expecting another novel which would be solely about the corporate life and the office politics which are the basis of most of the novels with a corporate backdrop. But I was in for a surprise as the author has given some twists and turns which keeps the reader guessing as to what will happen next.

The protagonist, Akash, is a character that is very common among all of us. Those working in the corporate sectors of Mumbai and Delhi can easily relate with him. Told in a series of flashbacks, the story takes us back to the end of his college life from where the mad race starts. It also describes the love story of how Akash meets Deepali, his wife.

The story also states the reality of life and relationships in general. Of how love may or may not lose its lustre over a period of time. Another main character that we see in the second half of the book is Monisha, Akash's colleague. I don't want to tell too much about her as it may take the fun out of reading the book.

Caught in a scam, the book shows the inner turmoil faced by Akash while having to make some decisions which will affect the rest of his corporate and married life. A well written book, which gives a peek into the life of many of the metropolitan couples and their corporate life. It is fast paced and can be finished in a few hours.