'12 Years - My Messed-Up Love Story': Ending We Once Hoped For

 

Recently, I picked up a Chetan Bhagat novel after a long time, and the book was 12 Years: My Messed-Up Love Story. I have always liked his writing. It is simple, direct, and easy to read. I do not approach his books expecting literary brilliance. I read them because they feel familiar and because they often echo emotions and situations that many of us have encountered at some point.

The story follows Saket, a divorced man in his early thirties, and Payal, a young woman at the beginning of her adult life. Their relationship unfolds through a series of emotionally charged moments that reflect confusion, attachment, and vulnerability.

The writing is fast-paced, which worked for me. I read the book in long stretches without much effort. Some parts, however, felt childish. The episode where the couple gets caught stood out in particular. It felt exaggerated and immature, and it momentarily weakened the emotional credibility of the narrative.

The ending, too, felt unrealistic. Yet, interestingly, it was the ending I found myself hoping for. There was a phase in my life when I believed such endings were possible, when I imagined that time, success, or circumstance could rewrite unfinished stories. Looking back, that hope feels naive, but it was sincere. I no longer think that way, but reading this book reminded me of that younger version of myself who did.

12 Years: My Messed-Up Love Story may not be a book I revisit, but it quietly brought back a version of my own thinking that I have long moved past. For me, that is what stayed after I turned the last page.