Summary

Cobalt Blue is the story of a Marathi family who has a paying guest. The brother Tanay and sister Anjali in the family both fall in love with the paying guest and the events that happen after that destroy the family.

My Review

I loved the suspense building that happened throughout the story. So it begins with Tanay’s narrative who tells us that although the paying guest (his name and identity is never revealed) and he has a physical relationship and Tanay felt that they were in love with each other. Despite that, the paying guest has eloped with Tanay’s sister Anjali. Initially, Tanay is shocked, heartbroken, and then disgusted by the feeling of being used.

But then we jump into Anjali’s narrative and although there was no love nor a physical relationship between the two, they decide to elope. But just after a few days, the guest leaves Anjali alone behind in their rented apartment, and Anjali is left with no choice but to return home to her parents.

Anjali has a mental breakdown and sees a doctor for it but, later she recuperates and decides to go for the job she always wanted to do. Tanay meanwhile leaves for Mumbai to pursue acting, and we are left with a disintegrated and unhappy family where each one tries to gauge what happened with the paying guest.

There is an air of mystery and wonder to the story that kept me hooked throughout. I felt much attached to the characters more for the fact that they were from a Marathi family, the same as me.

Although the story has an LGBT theme to it, there is no vulgarity or obscenity of any kind which I liked.

We are left with questions like why did the paying guest elope with Anjali and then why did he leave her behind? But again that makes the storytelling all the more entertaining I think.

Final Verdict

Overall I think it was a captivating story that was very well translated from Marathi by Jerry Pinto and I look forward to watching its recently launched adaptation on the screen.

Who Should Read This

Romance readers will like this very different story of love and betrayal. But those looking for happy endings might skip this one.

Top Quotes from Cobalt Blue

• “When you're looking for a relationship, the process weakens you. you feel you have to bear with whatever the other person wants. Each of the people I have met has made this a little more clear.”

• “Those who choose differently must suffer the consequences. They must take the pain their decisions bring.”

• “I sometimes go and sit there. it is my museum of broken things.”

• “I felt the kind of peace you feel when you come in from a hot afternoon and pour cold water over your feet.”

• “Once you start living together and you see the same person day in and day out, you begin to wonder: was it for this I struggled and toiled? Did he feel that way?”

• “When I think about my childhood, I feel the best times came before one began to seek pleasure in the bodies of others.”
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• “I wonder if I should believe what she says. But when you're not strong in yourself, anyone can tell you anything and you'll fall for it.”