Manmohan Sadana’s book Fleeting Moments, Eternal Memories is a beautiful collection of short stories, poems, and reflections that move between memory and imagination, history and myth, the everyday and the extraordinary. Sadana weaves together tales of love, loss, tradition, rebellion, and hope, set across a backdrop of Indian culture, history, and modern realities. The book dances between genres—historical fiction, mythology retellings, social commentary, and deeply personal narratives—yet it all comes together under a central theme: that life’s fleeting moments leave behind powerful, eternal memories.

The opening story An Eternity of Love hit me right in the heart. It’s the kind of love story that just melts you. Arjun, who struggles with dyslexia, and Aisha, who is blind, connect over literature, tea, and subtle gestures that speak louder than words. Their story unfolds with a soft kind of intensity. It’s so tender, so warm. That one line—“I may not see them, Arjun, but I can feel their magic”—when Aisha talks about the stars, gave me chills. This story made me believe in the kind of love that transcends sight, time, and distance.

But the book doesn’t just swim in sweetness. It dives deep into heavy, uncomfortable waters too. Take Babloo, for instance. It starts off lighthearted—Babloo is this vibrant, quirky garbage collector who radiates joy and love for his family. But then it takes a shocking, tragic turn at the end, and suddenly you’re slapped with the reality of exploitation, disability, and systemic silence. It’s not an easy read, and it’s not supposed to be. The way Sadana leaves that last scene hanging, without resolution, is haunting. That’s what made it powerful.

The chapter Love Rekindled is a quiet, emotionally rich tale about second chances and rediscovering love later in life. It follows Nisha and Arvind, once college sweethearts, now in their 60s, who reconnect after decades of separation. What makes this story special is its simplicity—there’s no dramatic twist, just two people finding warmth in shared memories, rekindling a bond that time never fully erased. Sadana writes their reunion with tenderness, capturing the awkwardness, nostalgia, and quiet excitement that comes with revisiting a past left unfinished. It’s heartwarming to see how love, even when buried under years of silence and different lives, can still bloom again with a single conversation.

This book isn’t just a light stroll through nostalgia. It’s layered and thoughtful. Some stories are sugar-sweet and soothing, others are raw and painful. The writing isn’t always polished—there are a few places where dialogue feels a little staged or too descriptive—but the heart behind it is undeniable. Sadana writes like someone who’s lived through many lives and still carries pieces of them in his pocket.

If you’re someone who enjoys emotionally rich storytelling, who loves a mix of folklore and reality, or who’s looking for a book that can make you smile and cry in the same chapter, this is it. Fleeting Moments, Eternal Memories is perfect for reflective readers, for romantics, for lovers of Indian culture, and for anyone who’s ever wanted to pause life just to remember a moment a little longer.

Pages: 202 | ISBN : 9789370093713