A sweet-sour love story!

One of the most powerful words that we all find the need to come to terms with is ‘destiny.’ We all start off believing that life is in our hands and the decisions we make are what transpires as our little anecdotes to share. But, beyond just human power lies destiny and this is beautifully expressed in author Preety Praveen’s good old romantic novella with a desi twist, Cross Connection.

A fan of fiction stories and poems Preety decided to pen down a steamy love story that knew no boundaries and differences in culture, castes and creed. Speaking about what inspired her to write Cross Connection Preety says, “I started writing small poems in my teens. I’d always loved writing and somewhere in my heart, had a strong feeling that one day I just might become a writer. This book is a true love story, one that has always been close to my heart, one I’d dreamed about penning down as my first book, and one I’ve dreamed into reality.”

The story is about a typical Punjabi Kudi Simar who is an aspiring dentist and a rugged Malayali boy Naveen who beneath this facade was an honest and lovely soul to ask. The banter they shared and from what began like a rivalry between the most outspoken gang in college and the bold and confident junior girl, is shown exceptionally well with small chunks of humour that will take you straight back to your college life.

Speaking about the characters of her book, Preety says, “I’d describe Simar to be similar to a heartbeat, sometimes low, sometimes high, but nobody would ever want to miss her presence. On the other hand, Naveen is more of a dream, a dream every girl wants to live in reality.” Adding about which character she relates to the most, she says, “I have a soft corner for both. But deep down in my heart, I love and adore Simar for her soft heart and bold attitude. Just like Simar, I too, love to see happy faces around me and find it very hard to breathe when surrounded by fake relationships. So I’d say I’m able to connect and relate with Simar a lot more.”

Everything was fine between the adorable lovebirds until the visionary and impulsive Naveen decided to expand his ambit of opportunities by travelling outside the country. What happens to their love story from here on is what was left in destiny’s hands. When asked the author if she believes in destiny, she says, “We all try to give our best in whatever we do but we only get what’s written in our fate.”

Preety is also coming up with a sequel called Pocket full of promises, and when asked about how she manages to keep her readers captivated she says, “Love is a dream that you see with closed eyes. Marriage, however, is the same dream, but one that you live in reality. In Cross Connection, Simar and Naveen meet. In A Pocket Full of Promises, they will be living together, fulfilling all their dreams and promises. I’ll be sure to add all the spices and sweetness of their journey in my next book to make sure readers are able to live every moment along with Simar and Naveen.”

Part proceedings from the book will be donated to the Avasar foundation that encourages education for girl children.