Chetan Bhagat is the author of bestsellers like Five Point Someone and One Night at the Call Centre and has inspired Bollywood films to be made on them. In the book under review, Krish, a Punjabi boy from Delhi and Ananya, a Tamil Brahmin girl, fall in love while studying at IIM, Ahmedabad. On returning to their respective homes and promising to continue with their bond, the two get busy in their respective lives, though remaining constantly lost in thoughts of each other. Krish’s parents want their son to marry a Punjabi girl from Delhi. They persuade him to accompany them to meet their friend Pammiji’s daughter Dolly. Krish takes one look at the daughter and his mind flies back to Ananya and he resolves to marry her only. When wishing the hosts a goodbye, Krish and his parents are somewhat taken aback to hear Pammiji scream “at the servant to scream at the driver to scream at the security guard to open the gate so the Honda would be taken out.”
Krish takes Dolly out at his parents’ insistence and reveals to her about his love for Ananya, persuading her to tell her parents that she had not found him suitable. Meanwhile Krish gets a job in Citibank at Chennai and the opportunity to visit Ananya’s home there. Krish has a very unpleasant first experience with Ananya’s father and this prods him to tell Ananya, “Sitting with your father is like being called to the principal’s office.” As for the mother, he says, “I used to be scared of her pictures in the campus. Forget her in real life! Her looks alone kill me.”
In an effort to win her father’s approval, Krish continues to call upon Ananya and her parents as he harbours the hope that he would be able to persuade them to give their daughter’s hand in marriage to him. Krish even takes Ananya to Delhi to meet his parents. Krish’s mother asks Ananya to cook a meal but Ananya makes a hash of it and ends up in tears of frustration and humiliation. Ananya makes every effort to please Krish’s parents but fears that she has failed.
After going through many ups and downs, the young lovers unite and receive the blessings of both parents and parents-in-law, thanks primarily to the role played by Krish’s father.
(Rupa & Co., 7/16 Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi-110002.)
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