A Meticulous Plan
A gifted man caught between his parents’ two cultures seeks greater peace and understanding between communities in the thoughtful novel A Meticulous Plan.
In A Mohit’s celebratory novel A Meticulous Plan, diverse beliefs are highlighted and peace is encouraged.
Bakhtiar from Rangpur and Pooja from Kolkata are college students leading opposite lives. A chance meeting during lunch is followed by an encounter when they’re boarding the same flight. Before long, a connection forms. But Bakhtiar’s family is Muslim and Pooja’s is Hindu, and their families’ faiths are separated by a tragic history and ongoing religious and cultural conflicts. After navigating challenges to solidify their love, Bakhtiar and Pooja become parents to a child prodigy, Satya, whose plans and accomplishments aim to bridge these divides.
The narrative is told in two halves—the first following Bakhtiar and Pooja, the second following Satya into his adulthood. The two parts are distinct from one another, making the novel part romance, part social and political coming-of-age tale. While Bakhtiar and Pooja’s love story is simple and uplifting, Satya’s story is more complex, tackling dark themes of social upheaval in Bangladesh. The growing prodigy attempts to bring stability to others via a refuge for the less fortunate—a place that provides housing, school, and work. A variety of family members and business partners populate both sections, driving the narrative and its main trio forward with support and experienced wisdom.
Bakhtiar and Pooja are developed as hardworking, kind people; theirs is a classic tale of destiny and love transcending divides. As their family members’ hearts soften to their bond, new depths are revealed in them; they develop in time with their significant changes, including marriage, career, and parenthood. Still, Satya’s perspective is deeper, thanks to his exceptional intelligence, slight awkwardness, and determination to help those around him.
As the story jumps between countries and traditions, broader cross-cultural and religious conflicts add weight to the busy later chapters. The book becomes dense with information in its focus on global concerns, and the central family recedes somewhat. Later, unrest between Bangladesh’s government and its people returns the focus to Satya and his sanctuary. The consequences of a lingering grudge lead the book to an unexpected, if poignant, conclusion.
A family navigates religious and cultural divides in the thoughtful novel A Meticulous Plan, which is about acceptance and love as two great human assets.
Reviewed by
Brandon Pawlicki
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