The Misted Horizon: A Critical Reflection on A Sky Full of Balloons by Santosh Bakaya

Reviewed by - Ritu Kamra Kumar

Book: A Skyful of Balloons (A Novella)

Author: Santosh Bakaya

Authorspress Publication

Year of Publication: 2018

Pages: 147 

Price: ₹295| $15

ISBN-13:978-93-87651-49-4

Santosh Bakaya, a luminous presence in contemporary Indian literature, is a poet, columnist, and storyteller whose prose transcends boundaries and resonates with universal human emotions. A recipient of numerous literary accolades, Bakaya has carved a niche among India's literary stalwarts, giving voice to the silences of many unheard lives. Her novella A Sky Full of Balloons is a delicate yet powerful tapestry of love, loss, memory, and hope—a narrative that both shimmers with poetic grace and pierces the heart with raw truth.

At its core, the novella chronicles the emotional odyssey of Preeti, a young woman whose life—once resplendent with color and melody—gradually fades into the muted hues of melancholy. The narrative opens with a scene steeped in symbolic imagery: a "pale and muted sky," white mist, and walnut trees whose music fails to stir Preeti’s heart. This spectral landscape mirrors her inner desolation, a world once vibrant now veiled by an impenetrable mist. The opening tone establishes a quiet eeriness, reminiscent of Virginia Woolf’s psychological landscapes, where nature and emotion seamlessly intertwine.

Preeti, once a babbling brook under her professor father's tutelage, is now silenced by sorrow. Her youthful exuberance—her "Picasso in the making"—has slipped into oblivion. Bakaya uses natural elements not merely as backdrops but as living, breathing extensions of her characters’ inner worlds. The Lidder river, the peeping walnut trees, and the chirping birds act as silent companions, echoing Preeti’s joys and despair.

The love story between Preeti and Vivek (affectionately, Vicky) unfolds with lyrical tenderness. Their childhood bond, nurtured amidst the scenic valleys and flowerbeds separating their homes, blossoms into a romance etched in Shakespearean eloquence. The references to literary giants—Shakespeare, Tennyson, Dickinson—are not ornamental but integral to the story’s emotional fabric. Their shared love for literature is the very soul of their relationship. As they quote “Parting is such sweet sorrow…” or evoke the eternal cadence of “Dover Beach,” their love becomes both timeless and tragic.

The characters surrounding them—the warm-hearted Dhars and Rainas, the wise grandmother, and the theatrical Dr. Qayoom—are not mere supporting figures but vividly drawn, each embodying a facet of the socio-cultural milieu. Bakaya’s genius lies in her deft psychological sketches—she captures the unspoken anxieties, quiet joys, and emotional tremors of everyday life with startling realism.

Just as the narrative settles into the comfort of their union, tragedy strikes. In a heart-wrenching moment, Preeti believes she has lost Vivek. Her anguish—marked by her desperate cry, “You cannot do this…”—shakes the reader. But Bakaya, ever the master of emotional pacing, delivers a twist: it was all a prank. Yet this moment of panic foreshadows the real loss to come, casting a shadow over their eventual marriage.

The narrative is divided into three distinct parts, each marking a shift in tone, structure, and emotional resonance. The third part delivers the final blow—Vivek is gone, and Preeti, now emotionally inert, lives in a "somnambulistic trance." Her creative soul is frozen in grief, her colors drained. But it is here that Bakaya introduces a symbolic resurrection: a young boy, also named Vicky, moves in next door. This child, motherless and seeking comfort, becomes the unlikely balm for Preeti’s wounded heart.

Their evolving bond is tenderly rendered. The cyclical nature of life—loss and renewal, winter and spring—unfurls through metaphors of seasons, lullabies, and memory straws. As the boy’s laughter echoes through her house, Preeti begins to thaw. Her lullaby “Nanni kali sonnay chali…” becomes a metaphorical bridge between her past and a new beginning.

In a climactic yet understated moment, Preeti visits young Vicky’s home on her wedding anniversary—a day once steeped in trauma—and asks for a book, The Twelve Months, a symbolic nod to the continuity of time and healing. Emily Dickinson’s haunting lines, “First chill – then stupor – then the letting go,” echo as she begins to reconcile with her loss.

The novella ends on an open note, allowing readers to linger in the liminal space between closure and continuation. Has Preeti truly found peace? Or is she still navigating the misted corridors of memory? Bakaya leaves us pondering, much like the ambiguous ending of The French Lieutenant’s Woman, inviting the reader to co-create the narrative's closure.

Narrative Technique & Style:

Bakaya’s storytelling is deeply poetic, her prose enriched with metaphors, similes, and literary allusions that elevate the emotional cadence. Her use of nature as metaphor—trees, rivers, mist, frost—is both symbolic and sensorial. The third-person omniscient narration allows for deep psychological insights while maintaining a lyrical distance. Her structure—episodic yet seamless—mimics the flow of memory, echoing the techniques of modernist writers like Woolf and Joyce.

Characterization:

Preeti is a deeply human character—flawed, fragile, yet fiercely resilient. Her transformation from a spirited girl to a grief-stricken woman and eventually a nurturer again is depicted with grace and empathy. Vivek, though absent in the final act, lingers like a fragrance, his presence etched into Preeti’s psyche. Secondary characters are crafted with care, their dialogues and gestures reflecting cultural authenticity and emotional truth.

Conclusion:

A Sky Full of Balloons is not just a story—it is an elegy, a love song, a whisper in the wind. It speaks of ephemeral joys, the permanence of grief, and the quiet promise of renewal. Santosh Bakaya's novella is a triumph of literary art—a work that invites readers to feel, reflect, and perhaps heal.

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Bio: Dr. Ritu Kamra Kumar, Retd. Officiating Principal and Associate Professor of English at MLN College, Yamuna Nagar, is an acclaimed academician, poet, and writer. With over 400 contributions to leading national newspapers and magazines, she has published 70+ research papers in reputed national and international journals and edited books. A noted resource person and speaker, she has led workshops and panel discussions nationwide, including at the Delhi Book Fair 2024. Honored by the District Administration and featured as an Empowered Woman by The Hindustan Times, she is a recipient of the Indian Woman Achiever Award and authored eight acclaimed books. 

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Setu, June 2025