After reading a lot of heavy books of late, “Arranged Love” by Parul Mittal caught my eye at the Mumbai airport. Browsing through it generated some interest and the price point just demanded an impulse purchase from me.
Was it worth it? Read on.
Arranged love is a very common concept in India where arranged marriages thrive and everything from the shaadi ka mandap, baraaat, khana, peena and rona dhona can be arranged, including love.
The plot? Well, it is one more in the chic lit series without much of a plot and which more looks like an autobiographical account of the author.
Actually, I think, the genesis of all such books is aspirational. Every individual has this dream version of his/ her own life and because that is not happening in the real world, a book is written on the same. Obviously the usual masala of sex, love and some rona dhona is added to make it saleable or rather publish worthy. Penguin ain’t picking you otherwise.
Coming back to the book, it is about a female protagonist who is studying in the US and dating an American. She comes back to India due to the recession where the whole drama part starts. Her Dad wants to set her up and her mom wants her to settle down – both want her to get married to the IIT boy they have selected. Lot of happenings, office romance, Drunken stupors later we come to an end of the story. What happens in the end is anyone’s guess, but well I would not want to spoil the suspense.
One thing that I loved about the book is the characterization of each of the characters which has been etched in detail that you feel that you start relating to them.
Different frustu characters in the office and the male protagonist being shown as a superstud, the elderly sister who has complete clarity in life and the completely opposite cousin who wants to experiment with everything sex on it. At the end of the book you feel you have known them all for sometime now.
The whole treatment of the plot with Hinglish slang again makes you feel completely at Home
The video ad for the book : http://youtu.be/yyFv3ddiB1o
Would I recommend this book? Well, if you fly frequently and hate sleeping during the flight, this book can make for good company.
By the way is the next book called “Love Arranged!”. Would make for an interesting read.