A person who has the courage to step out of his comfort zone, the corporate world which is filled to the brim with competition might not be a superhero for some. Yet, he will be someone who sets an example. If this story fascinates you, you should read Second Wind: Caught Between Paycheck and Passion by Sanchit Gupta.
The book is a story of one young Sanjay Saklani who has just finished his MBA and returned home before joining his work. It is a first-person account of Sanjay’s new beginning which starts because of his conversation with his cousin Vivek. The novel comprises of three parts. Each part discusses narrator’s journey towards achieving his dream.
The first part talks about the inspiration. Something, each one of us is trying to find out every time we work on something new. Sanjay, interested in a career in FMCG marketing, is placed in Printing and Packaging by the HR. Sanjay strongly disliked his new job as it was nowhere near to his area of interest.
It is during these times of extreme inner conflict, Sanjay meets Vishwant, an ambitious new trainee for supervisor who is bubbling with energy. It was Vishwant who ignited Sanjay’s spark for his long-lost dream of starting his own theatre group. Soon, Sanjay had a moment of realisation.
The second part of the novel is set in Madhya Pradesh, the heart of India. Here Sanjay meets numerous people and learns valuable lessons from them.
He learns the importance of discipline and need for sensible driving and later the ability to sacrifice for others. This part in fact tells us how Sanjay tries to work on his dream, his passion.
The last part speaks about how quitting his job somehow intensified yet simplified his complexities. There are times when life is not always just about hard work and dedication.
The book is an interesting and quick read with the plot bringing in a lot of twists and turns. The tone is subtle and as the characters belong to the present world, so, it establishes a proper connection between readers and characters.
