Review

“We have to wait for the when and make the best of how we can spend that waiting time. What can we do to make things better? The when is not in our control, but the what and how are, to some extent.”

I finished reading Prism of Perceptions by Anushila Chakraborty and one thing this book quietly reminded me of is how, at the end of the day, humans search for companionship more than anything else. More than money, success, or achievements, it is people and connections that truly help us survive. The book beautifully highlights the importance of valuing the people in our lives and cherishing the bonds we often take for granted.

Set during the COVID pandemic, the story follows Trillian and Zana, two beings from the planet Reton, who arrive in Mumbai for research purposes and eventually meet Dr. Girish, a frontline worker struggling with loneliness amidst the chaos around him. While Girish helps them understand Earth and human life, Zana and Trillian unknowingly become the company and emotional support he deeply needed. At the same time, they themselves begin understanding what it means to feel, connect, grieve, and belong.

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What I really enjoyed was how the book constantly contrasts life on Reton with life on Earth. Through Zana and Trillian’s conversations, we learn how differently emotions, healing, relationships, and even survival are understood on their planet. The way they recharge, process situations, help people, and slowly begin understanding human emotions adds a unique layer to the narrative. Watching them evolve from analytical beings into characters capable of empathy and emotional attachment was genuinely interesting.

The author captures Mumbai during the pandemic with honesty and sensitivity — empty roads, fear, uncertainty, loneliness, and survival. The scenes set in Dharavi were especially impactful as they reflected the realities people faced during that time and how differently communities experienced the crisis. One of the strongest aspects of the book is how it portrays the struggles of migrant workers during the lockdown. Through Trillian’s journey with people walking back to Kolkata, the story highlights exhaustion, hunger, uncertainty, helplessness, and survival in the harshest conditions. The conversations he has during the journey and the people he meets help him understand human pain, resilience, and emotional strength in a deeply moving way. These moments add emotional depth to the story and make it feel even more real and heartbreaking.

The writing style is simple yet descriptive, and the author does a wonderful job expressing the inner thoughts and observations of Zana and Trillian. Their dialogues and reflections are one of the strongest aspects of the book because they make ordinary human emotions feel new and profound. The themes of friendship, loss, longing, relationships, love, emotional connection, and hope are explored beautifully throughout the story.

Alongside this, the emotional journeys of the characters unfold beautifully. Zana forms a heartfelt bond with Deepa and stands beside her through loss, while Trillian slowly begins understanding friendship, attachment, and care through the people around him. I also loved how naturally people connected with Trillian. Their trust, curiosity, and affection towards him brought warmth to the story, and it was beautiful to see how Trillian, despite not fully understanding human emotions initially, slowly started feeling protective, connected, and emotionally attached to them. Those moments added softness and warmth amidst the heaviness of the pandemic backdrop.

The relationship between Zana and Trillian is also beautifully written in a subtle way. Even when they choose different paths, there is an unspoken understanding, care, and emotional connection between them that quietly grows throughout the story. As they spend more time on Earth and among humans, they begin understanding emotions they were never meant to experience so deeply. Their separation, choices, and the emotional distance that develops at certain points make their bond feel even more meaningful.

At the same time, the book is slow-paced and heavily detailed in parts. Some sections felt stretched and occasionally slowed down the narrative, making certain moments feel repetitive. While the detailing works emotionally in many scenes, at times it does affect the pacing. However, the climax makes up for it brilliantly. The final chapters become intense, emotional, and deeply engaging, especially when circumstances force Zana and Trillian to reveal who they truly are. Those last few chapters are undoubtedly the strongest part of the book and leave a lasting impact on the reader.

In all, Prism of Perceptions is a thoughtful and emotional read about loneliness, hope, resilience, love, human emotions, and the need for companionship. It is a story that reminds us that even in the most uncertain times, people remain the biggest source of comfort for one another.

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