Love, Loss, and the Himalayas: A Soul-Stirring Journey That Will Leave You Breathless

Book Review of When the Mountains Moved by Vijaya Sandireddy

“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.”

These words linger long after you’ve read them, like an echo of the mountains themselves—gentle yet profound. This book feels like that too, like a slow unravelling of emotions, memories, and questions about life and love, all set against the vast, mystical backdrop of the Himalayas. It’s not just a story about a trek; it’s a journey inward, toward the deepest parts of the heart, where love and pain often reside together.

At the centre of it all is Preethi, whose transformation from a bubbly young woman to a composed, guarded leader is so palpable. It’s as though the weight of her past relationship with Rishi has seeped into her very soul, tempering her spirit with an unspoken sadness. I was struck by how real her grief for unrequited love felt, even after so many years. There’s something deeply human in how she carries that pain—how love, once so tender, can also become a source of lingering sorrow. It made me reflect on how love can be both a medicine that heals us and a slow poison that we carry with us for longer than we realize. It’s a quiet ache, not always visible but ever-present.

Yet, amidst Preethi’s grief, there’s Arjun—a constant, steady presence in her life. His love for her is so pure, so selfless, that it made me pause and think about the nature of love itself. Here is a man who loves without expectation, who offers his heart not in pursuit of reciprocation but simply because he cares for her. It’s a love that exists in the background, quietly, patiently, as though waiting for the right moment to reveal itself. I found his love to be as beautiful as it was heartbreaking, especially knowing how much he longs for her to see him—not as just a colleague, but as someone who truly understands her. And yet, he doesn’t push. Instead, he stands by her side, especially when she’s facing her most difficult moments. There’s something deeply comforting in that.

The Himalayan trek becomes more than just an adventure for Preethi and her team. It’s a metaphor, of course—for the challenges we all face when we confront the past, for the mountains we must climb within ourselves to reach some form of peace. The mountains, with their silent wisdom, seem to mirror Preethi’s inner journey. The way the author describes them is almost spiritual, as if the Himalayas themselves hold the answers to life’s most complex questions. It’s in this majestic setting that Preethi’s buried feelings for Rishi resurface, stirred by the mystical beauty of the landscape.

The camaraderie between the team members is another aspect I loved. It felt so real—like these were people I might know, each with their imperfections, insecurities, and vulnerabilities. Their relationships with each other are a reminder that we don’t walk alone, even when our journey feels intensely personal. The bonds they share make the trek feel more alive and more tangible, as though the mountains are not just a place they are passing through but a shared experience that will change them forever.

As for the ending—it left me with a glimmer of hope. It felt as if this was not the end of Preethi and Arjun’s story, but just the beginning. The mountains may have awakened something in her, a stirring of emotions long dormant, but there is also the sense that love, in its quiet way, may find her again. Perhaps not immediately, but in time. Arjun’s patience and kindness seem like a promise that when it’s true, love will wait until the heart is ready to open again.

This story is more than a romance—it reflects the complexities of love, grief, and the paths we take in life. It reminded me that sometimes the most profound journeys are not the ones we take across landscapes, but the ones we take within ourselves. And like the mountains, love can be vast, powerful, and full of mystery.

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