August 13 : fter the coffee table book “Har Ghar Kuchh Kehta Hai”, released early this week, another book, providing a peep into the romantic past of the erstwhile British Summer capital through fascinating real tales of love, has arrived.
The book “Love Stories of Shimla Hills”, authored by Minakshi Chaudhary, unveils 16 true love stories, right from 17th century onwards to the present day. It narrates some interesting but not much-known “love affairs” and at the same time answers some queries pertaining to popular tales and brings out new some aspects.
Apart from telling the real story behind the Scandal Point and throwing light on the colourful love life of celebrated painter Amrita Shergill, Chaudhary also provides interesting details of romance between Edwina and Jawaharlal Nehru. It also reveals the real tale of Shanta featuring in the popular pahari folk song “O’ ladi Shanta” fame and, of course, the story how Sadhana, the heroine of “Love in Simla” fell in love here.
Releasing the book, Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal lauded the efforts of the young writer who has now nine titles under her belt. Her books include the bestselling “Ghost Stories of Shimla Hills”, Whispering Deodars, Writings from Shimla Hills, Destination Himachal, 120 offbeat and A Guide to the Land of Gods.
Chaudhary says that the very ambience of the picturesque hills with romance lingering all over make Shimla an ideal place to set every heart on fire and she realised while working on the book that these tales are inseparable from its ambiance. The stories pertaining to different eras also bring out the transition in the ways of expressing love from rose-scented hand-written letters to the modern SMS, internet chatting and phone calls.
