Separated by fate, united by music--Manab Sen's "The Eternal Scale" is a moving saga of love, loss, and longing across continents

VMPL
New Delhi [India], August 7: In his latest novel, Manab Sen brings us a powerful story of love, longing, despair and the search for identity in "The Eternal Scale". Set against the harsh, violent deserts of Rajasthan to the slums of Kolkata, Bangladesh, Murshidabad, Europe and the USA, this novel weaves together the lives of many individuals, foremost among them, a mother and daughter separated by fate yet bound by music and a deep yearning to find each other.
The story begins in 1975, in a small, violent town of Western Rajasthan. Payal, a seventeen-year-old forced into marriage with a seventy-year-old man, and Ali, a victim of genocide in erstwhile East Pakistan, turned reluctant cleric, find each other one night through the haunting melodies of Indian ragas. Their love blossoms in a world that is unforgiving. They escape through the Thar desert and wed at the Ajmer Dargah Sharif. Payal becomes Meher-Un-Nissa.
But life is harsh for the young couple. In the chaos of Kolkata's slums, robbed of their meagre savings, Meher-Un-Nissa is forced to give up her newborn daughter for adoption, a decision that leaves her deeply resentful and broken. As their relationship crumbles, Meher-Un-Nissa turns to music, finding purpose and solace through rigorous training in Indian classical music, eventually gaining international fame.
Meanwhile, far away in the USA, Veronica Greenberg, the child Meher-Un-Nissa was forced to give up, grows up with loving adoptive parents, survivors of the horrors of WWII. Excelling in music and academics, Veronica inherits her mother's musical soul without knowing the truth of her origins. Her life is marked by unfulfilled love and the struggles of being a single mother, yet her work in international music takes her around the world.
In a twist of fate, Veronica crosses paths with the renowned Meher-Un-Nissa in London, both unaware of their connection, their lives echoing the same notes of longing and loss.
Years later, driven by an intense pull towards her roots, Veronica travels to Kolkata with her daughter in search of her biological parents. Faced with a wall of bureaucracy and silence at the adoption office, a small note stuck to her file offers a faint clue. With just three days at her disposal, Veronica races against time to uncover the story of her birth and the mother who had to let her go.
A Story of the Voiceless, Told with Compassion
"The Eternal Scale" is more than just a story about adoption or family. It is a story about the voiceless--women forced to make impossible choices, children yearning for their origins, and the silent strength that carries them forward. It is about how music becomes a thread connecting lives across continents, even when words fail.
About the Author
Manab Sen is a storyteller shaped by a lifetime of experiences across India, Bahrain, and the USA. From his days in the banking sector in rural Rajasthan to the glamorous yet demanding media world in Mumbai with the Times Group, and later as a serial entrepreneur in high finance, private equity, M&A, Manab's diverse journey opened his eyes to the struggles and quiet resilience of everyday people.
His stories focus on those who are often unheard--women, children, and the oppressed. Through his writing, Manab gives them a voice, capturing their pain, strength, and hope with sensitivity and honesty.
Why This Book Matters
In a world where many women and children are still denied the chance to live their lives freely, "The Eternal Scale" is a timely reminder of the strength it takes to survive, forgive, and find love despite impossible circumstances. It is a book for readers who believe in the power of stories to heal, to question, and to inspire change.
"The Eternal Scale" by Manab Sen is now available. Let this moving tale remind you of the unbreakable bonds that tie us all together, no matter how far apart we may be.
Shop Now: https://www.amazon.in/ETERNAL-SCALE-Womans-impassioned-journey/dp/9367079508
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