Can you open your heart again once it’s broken? Can you love someone without learning to love and embrace yourself? Vijaya Sandireddy’s novel When the Mountains Moved, Preethi loved Rishi with all her heart, but after a difficult breakup, she is scarred, maybe forever. What will it take to move on from past heartbreak? When Preethi goes on a trek to the Himalayas with her team, she finds an inner strength she never knew she possessed. As she undertakes the journey, she can confront her past, accept her present and embrace her future.

Read an excerpt from When the Mountains Moved here:

Gathering strength, she continued, “You know Arjun, I have always looked at the breakup from my perspective and never tried to see through things from his point of view. Until I met his mother, I thought of him as a coward who ran away from reality. Little did I know that it takes immense courage and strength for someone to truly love someone and still sacrifice the love for the other person’s well-being.” She choked on her words.

“That’s what unconditional love is, Preethi,” Arjun said. Preethi broke down hearing those words. Composing herself, she turned to him and asked, “Can I ask you for a favour?” Arjun turned and met her gaze. He nodded. “I want to know all that Rishi wanted to share with me, all that he would have told me if we had that conversation. I want to go on this journey and find out all about his life from the day we broke up until the day he passed away. I need to close the unfinished conversation with Rishi, I want to know the story from his perspective!” she said sadly, staring into the darkness ahead.

Turning to him, she requested, “Can you accompany me on this difficult journey?” “Sure. I will,” Arjun replied without a second thought.

He parked the car on campus and opened the door for her. They walked together to her room. On reaching the door of her room, Preethi turned to him, tears refusing to dry up in her eyes. “I can’t thank you enough, Arjun. I am forever indebted to you for all that you have been doing for me,” she said, hugging him.

The selected portion has been excerpted with permission from When the Mountains Moved by Vijaya Sandireddy, TreeShade Books, ₹350. You can get your copy of the book here.

About When the Mountains Moved

“Mountains are like love. If you are fortunate, they will come calling someday, touch your soul, leave you smitten, and take a piece of your heart away.”

Preethi, a team leader at a reputed IT firm, has transformed from a bubbly girl to a composed lady thanks to her turbulent past and failed relationship with her first love, Rishi.

Her manager, Arjun, admires her grit, values, and ideals. Taking a break from work, Preethi, Arjun, and their team embark on an adventurous trek to the Himalayas, unaware of the enchantments the mountains hold. As the trek intensifies, the team experiences thrilling and spiritual moments. Arjun, deeply in love with Preethi, wonders if he should express his feelings, while Preethi, unaware of his love, is haunted by her past. How will Preethi handle the mystical experience at the summit, which brings forth buried feelings for Rishi? Will she learn to love again?

Featured Image Source

Related: 7 Dynamic Book Clubs In Delhi That Every Reader Should Join