Book name: Arjun Without A Doubt

Author: Dr. Shinde Sweety

Published on: 2015

Synopsis: The book mainly focuses on the journey of Arjun and Draupadi, the challenges they face and ultimately how they assist Krishna to establish righteousness back in humankind. Mostly from the point of view of Draupadi, it tries to flesh out the greatness of Arjun.

The story and the accuracy: Like any other published novel, the storyline and accuracy has been seeped down in the drain. The Khandav Dahan had taken place after Subhadra haran, but now it was incorporated just after the Pandavs were given Khandavprasth. Arjun was sent to exile for three years, and etc etc. 

The book has extreme factual errors, here even the splitting of Draupadi was so awkward. Kunti does not say the phrases, "Divide whatever you have brought" but was actually waiting for Draupadi to arrive and be married to Yudhishthir. Also Yudhishthir interrupting Arjun and Draupadi once, but is not sent to exile because apparently, the author thinks he cannot survive an exile-

I-

And the part where Brihannala also helps in killing Keechak- 

Such plot holes made the book extremely off and awkward, which shows there was minimum research done upon the epic. There is no following of a proper timeline and events happen whenever the author deems to befit her.

 Writing: The writing switches from first POVs of Draupadi and Arjun to third POVs in the entire book, to give an insight to the thoughts and overall interpretation of events. The author uses mild to heavy English at times, but there are flecks of witty writing visible.

Specially the parts where Arjun admires Krishna, and witnesses Draupadi as an extension of Krishna during her Swayamvar should be a worthy mention.

But again, at some places, the writing is very haphazard, the author seems to be rushing fast so as to end the story. The interactions between Arjun and Draupadi after a few chapters seem to lose its charm, and when the basic story revolves around the love of the both, very minimal is shown. 

And too much shifting of POVs made the read a bit jarring.

The character of Draupadi:  Again, the character of Draupadi was NOTHING close to the real Draupadi. Nothing, I repeat. Just like the Palace of Illusions, you see a bratty woman-jealous, egoistic and self obsessed teenager who only cares of about Arjun and nothing else.

It wasn't her love that was portrayed, but a weird obsession for Arjun which was highly problematic. The fact that she was destined to wed the five and her being Devi Sachi is completely ignored and made to look how she is suffering marrying the five of them but loves only Arjun--(the annoying yet common ArDi trope). 

She disregards everyone, is highly hot tempered and even seems to have a problematic relationship with Arjun as well. When Arjun returns after his exile, the chemistry between ArDi is so poorly executed! You absolutely do not get the point where Arjun gets besotted in her love or something--nor there is a breaking point where the both of them are at a high point of their love-

Even if the author wants to show that they are coming back after such a distance of years, (3 years here lol-) everything just-falls flat, even the romantic scenes-(I do not know how shouting at each other is 'romantic' as per the author).

Yes, the author has tried to incorporate romance in between them, but after all that happened between them this long and the way they were trying to justify their actions and stuffs, the romance between them just doesn't sit with you-it JUST doesn't-

Let me give you an example- if you have seen the movie Qala; there is a song 'Jaane Balma Ghorey pe kyu sawar hai' such a vibrant song it is- before the release of the movie if you had heard it, it gives such a good vibe. Only when you see the movie and know how problematic the setting was when this particular song gets played, you cannot view the song in the same light anymore-

That's exactly what happens in the romance sequences between them after the exile; the distance between them had been so long and there was almost minimal effort to bridge the gap-so much so that the abrupt acceptance and romance doesn't fit at all-

I am extremely sorry to say that in this book, Draupadi and Arjun seem better without each than with each other--yes, such a degradation had happened. Because, after reading the entire book it felt like Draupadi and her happiness was mercilessly snatched away by Arjun-he was solely responsible for such drastic changes in her mentality-and that is true-

Draupadi, after Arjun, has a weird sense of obsession to prove she is better than Subhadra-even thinks for a while to offer her head to Maata Kali for prasad. Really? 

REALLY????

She doesn't love even her own sons-YES you heard that right! She is averted to her own sons(even Shrutkarma) because, they resemble their fathers majorly! She only loves Abhimanyu, and feels her sons are nothing in front of them~(at this point, I had to stop reading the book to throw up at the basin, trust me).

 Coming futher...

Draupadi HATES Yudhishthir-yes, you heard me right. She LOATHES him completely in the entire book. Why? You know that obviously, do I need to tell? 

Ok fine....lets be the Sherlock and crack the thing-

Dyut Sabha? 

Nah...

For asking Draupadi to marry the five?

HELL YES!

Want to hear more? She almost wishes for the other four Pandavs to die, when the discussion on her division was happening-

I don't think author has any idea of whom the Pandavs were and Draupadi's influence over them, I have told about it in my review of the POI as well-

This Draupadi is the exact carbon copy of the Palace of Illusions Draupadi, minus her love for Karn- but here its her weird obsession for Arjun. The whole book she has no other job but think about Arjun, which just made me want to bang my head on the wall (Trust me, I am an ArDi fan but this is highly irritating-HIGHLY!)

The Character of Arjun: Damn, where is the charismatic and admirable Arjun? I see none! 

Though in the beginning, where Arjun returns with Draupadi, his conversation with her sheds a bit light to his humility and an admirable vibe-but trust me--its just like the songs from Adipurush-

Just that-

After that what happens?

You see a crybaby Arjun; who cannot accept Draupadi here as the common wife (yes, again the same ArDi trope) so he goes on avoiding Draupadi (lol, at times I wonder that these two in this book need a mental asylum), yes HE GOES ON AVOIDING Draupadi, and yearns for her from far until the exile. 

For your information, let me just give a little.....a little insight from BORI Ce.

Arjun and Draupadi had consummated on the night of their marriage, and so did Draupadi with the other Pandavs.... (*smug smile*) You get that guys? YOU GET THAT THING???!!!

Arjun is shown in the later parts as a depressed human being, having no vigor at all and is just obsessed with Draupadi as well--yes but from the far. Makes no sense right? Exactly!

He doesn't even care about his other wives, not even Subhadra-but is obsessed with Abhimanyu just like Draupadi is-

Makes no sense right? 

Honestly speaking, Arjun and Draupadi seemed to have been picked up from an mafia ff where the two are enemies turning to lovers and lovers to enemies and enemies to lovers and the cycle just goes on-

Their relationship shown is so problematic here-Arjun keeps so much distance from her that it almost mentally affects her (at one point lol, it seems understandable why Draupadi had suddenly become so vicious)

Imagine, you're wedded to your husband who appeared to love and protect you at first, and suddenly he stops talking to you, stops to visit you, give attention-and you have no fault in it. That too for years-He comes to give his darshan to you, and when he leans to kiss you in some sort of trance, he suddenly realizes what he was going to do leaves from there- Exactly--he freaking leaves from there without a word-and you're standing there not able to comprehend what's exactly wrong-and then after years he comes back and tells you how much he loves you-that too by shouting on the top of his lungs-

I can't even blame the Draupadi here now for behaving like this with him in return--for even if she doesn't know, she is mentally traumatized by this behaviour of Arjun-

Its enough for anyone to be driven crazy- Such a problematic portrayal of Arjun as a shitty husband-

Here, he couldn't do justice to neither Draupadi nor his wives; just like another annoying lovesick guy who depends on his friend (Krishna) for every freaking time; has no decision making capacity of his own and makes himself look the most victimized character ever-

I mean-author you have named your book 'Arjun Without A Doubt' and this is how you are portraying him-

His conquests are just brushed upon, and him getting Gaandiv seemed to a reminder of, 'do not go on to share it' . Like seriously? 

The Character Of Krishna: I seriously didn't knew someone can go this wrong with his portrayal. He doesn't give any homely vibes at all, nor any divine vibes or that his words would provide solace and encouraging at the same time. 

The whole personality of Krishna was so dark, his behaviour with Arjun-specially with Draupadi was so off; and his choice of words was enough to put anyone into depression--like he constantly reminds Draupadi that you and Arjun but nothing but pawns of this game-and you Draupadi, I have installed you to protect Arjun-

I mean I totally understand-but this is not a way to speak or deliver the thoughts to someone! And the situations were such words were delivered were equally problematic--

Krishna appears as a very stoic person, with no sense of kindness or magnanimosity in him~

The Character Of Kunti: Don't even get me saying here, she is just another villainous spin off from Palace of Ilussion's Kunti. The same scheming type woman, selfishly ambitious and goes on subtly tormenting Draupadi for everything; heck-she doesn't even appear to love Arjun.

The Character of Yudhisthir and Subhadra: The author has again deliberately portrayed them as annoying as possible. Yudhisthir-where is the glorious CHAKRAVARTHI SAMRAT YUDHISHTHIR for God's sake? He has been reduced to a weakling-even physically and internally jealous of Draupadi and Arjun. He doesn't know what to do and Draupadi cannot stop complaining about him throughout the book-

Even to an extent where she claims he won't be able to survive an exile.

Subhadra on the other hand has been portrayed as a downright fool (Yeah, almost like the Subhadra of SP MB, portrayed by Veebha Anand). She also is obsessed with Arjun and deliberately portrays herself like an overly sweet, saccharine woman and extremely innocent-so much so that she hardly knows about her husband Arjun-

Lol, the author did such major distortions with the character of Arjun only--what can be expected from her?

Draupadi goes on exerting her supremacy over Subhadra as if she doesn't have any other work-like seriously-

The other characters are hardly given an insight; even Bheem is jealous of Arjun-

At this point, I dont know what to even say.

Likeable things from the book- There are very, very minute things which I have still deduced a bit likeable from this book, even such worse portrayals of the MB characters-and that is the correct portrayal of Karn. His scheming nature and his obsession with Arjun, and evil nature has been portrayed correctly, and that is a bit redeeming factor of this book.

Also, the part where Draupadi motivates Arjun to be Savyasachi-this part has been executed a bit well than the other and the part where Arjun kills Karn and remembers Draupadi's insult- 

Like I said, these parts are like the songs from the movie of Adipurush-

Buy this only book if you want to get married; read it for yourself and give one copy to your fiancé as well for this book is 101 one things you should NOT do in a relationship and marriage.

 I would want to rate this book a 1.5/5.

Next shall be the review of The Rise of Dharma on the request of krishna-sahacharini. This review has been done by both me and my favorite Siya mysticalsiya1468 (⁠◕⁠ᴗ⁠◕⁠✿⁠)

I am still reading Kavita Kane's The Outcast Queen and perhaps next week the review shall be done that_sarcastic_gal (⁠◕⁠ᴗ⁠◕⁠✿⁠) 

Signing off for today!

Kiritija Nushkie