poet writer activist former tv anchor and model karuna ezara parikh marks her debut as an author with her book the heart asks pleasure first which released today september 21 2020 this remarkable novel is an evocative love story set in a divided world which is full of chaosset in 2001 in the united kingdom the story follows daya an indian student studying ballet and aaftab a pakistani practising in a law firm there daya and aaftab meet in a park in cardiff for the first time and soon they fall in love with each other but life isnt as simple as it seems while daya is head over heels in love with aaftab he on the other hand is in a fix to reciprocate the love afterall he is a muslim from pakistan and she a hindu from india while aaftab battles his inner conflicts his relationship with daya rises above the political and religious divide of the society but love isnt so simple for them the devastating events of that year force them to finally measure the undeniable truths of their relationship against their love for each otherthough the story showcases student life in a foreign land it touches upon various themes including complex relationships family migration xenophobia struggles of life all of which makes it an interesting read karuna ezara parikhs beautiful writing coupled with multiple twists in the tale makes it a remarkable story that will stay with you long after you have read the book