Books n’ Reading

2 States

I read synopsis of Chetan Bhagat’s new book ‘2 States’ on his website and immediately started reading the book. ‘The story of my marriage‘  he stresses. This is a love story of a Punjabi guy Krish (i.e. a north Indian) and Tamilian gal Ananya  (i.e. south Indian), hence the name ‘2 States’.

Krish and Ananya meet together at IIM-A and gradually fall for each other. Academic years end and they think of getting married but being from different cultural communities, their respective parents don’t agree to their decision. They struggle hard to convince them so that they could see smiling faces of their parents and families as they tie the knot.

Finally do they succed or not??? Better read the book.

Chetan Bhagat’s way of writing is simple, appealing and fabulous as always. Still some substance goes missing and we feel that this book is not much different than his earlier ones. ‘2 States’ loses its charm once you finish reading it. Sorry Chetan, I still love ‘Five Point Someone’ more. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dollar Bahu

 Sudha Murty’s ‘Dollar Bahu‘ story begins with a middle class Kannad family who has two sons and a daughter. Chandru (elder son) meets a simple girl (called Vinuta) and fall for her but his career dreams take him to US.  For time being, he buries his feelings for her. Vinuta has no clue about this in any way.  His ‘want-for-more-dollars’ greed makes him settle there.  His mother, Gouramma gets carried away by the change of status which is brought to family by the dollars her NRI son sends.  Girish (younger son) works in a Bank as clerk.  Gouramma now even wants her daughter to marry a US-based boy.

Meanwhile, Girish marries Vinuta and they start leading a simple, middle class and content life. Vinuta adjusts herself to family, looking after her husband, in-laws and did not pay attention to Gouramma’s constant picking and cribbing.  Gouramma decides Chandru to get married and then Vinuta has to listen to endless comparison made between her and (Jamuna) Chandru’s wife i.e. ‘Dollar Bahu’. Vinuta being good-hearted person ignores it in the beginning but the ill-behaviour from Gouramma soon makes her lose peace of mind and health. Shamanna, her father-in-law supports and stands by her.

Cunning Dollar Bahu who is about to deliver a child, calls Gouramma to visit them in the US for baby sitting. Over-whelmed Gouramma lands up in US and gets to know her dollar bahu. Her stay becomes a curtain raiser. She sees ‘other’ side of Jamuna and understands value of Vinuta. Above all, she understands that alone dollars cannot buy the love and respect which she got from her family back in India.

Gouramma returns back to India as a different person but it is already too late.
Does Vinuta forgives Gouramma and returns back? You have to read the book for the answer. 

Sudha Murty’s this another family fiction is worth reading. Most of the youth generation in India is settled in US or abroad and the craze is still on. Even I know couple of parents who belongs to Gouramma’s breed. They feel dignified of their brood settled abroad. Sudha has sincerely tried to focus on family issue which may be obvious in today’s time. She has gone exceptionally beyond to portrait the ‘actual’ scene and situations faced by ‘desi‘ (yeh, this is word used for ‘Indians’ by Indians settled abroad) parents when they visit their fellows in US.

A must read book even for youngsters as well as parents!

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Idli Orchid Aani Mi!

“Idli Orchid Aani Mi!”. The title itself sounded very interesting. I borrowed this book from my friend another day. After coming back from office all I wish was to read it.

The book is written in Marathi by Vitthal Kamat (one of the onwers of Kamat Hotels). He talks about his life, mainly his career, his journey from a simple restaurant wala’s son to owner of Five Star hotel and his dream called ‘ORCHID’.

Vitthal has jotted various intertesting incidents in his career, ups and downs and Orchid (one of the award winning Ecotels in the world). A simple boy with no money in his pocket goes to meet Oberoi (of Oberio chain of hotels) and tells him very modestly that he want to beat Oberois in hotel business. Being a south-indian, he learned to make best idlis from his mother and it remains still very important factor in his life. That’s the reason his book’s name start with ‘IDLI’.  He also has confessed few things openly and emphasized that making mistakes is natural but accepting them and learning from them is what that really counts. Vitthal also talks about this principles and business ethics seeded by his father since his childhood which lead him to achieve success.

Books carries its own pace and flow which makes it worth reading. I completed the book in 4 hours.

Author: Vithal Kamat (Shabdankan By: Shobha Bondre)
Language: Marathi
Publisher: Majestic Prakashan
MRP: Rs. 150/-

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Gently Falls the Bakula

I started reading “Gently Falls the Bakula” in the afternoon and got so magnetized to it that just couldn’t stop myself from completing it at stretch. I finished this book in 2 hrs 35 mins.

Sudha Murty’s style and simplicity in writing has always been very fascinating. Her writing has great power to beautifully personify the characters in her novel and that is what appeals me more. When I started reading “Gently Falls the Bakula (GFTB)” I could actually visualise Shrimati, Shrikant, their friends, their houses and most important the ‘Bakula’ tree.

“Marriage”. Most important, hardest and at same time most delicate part of everyone’s life, especially of women’s. It definitely means great change in every women’s life… whether it is India or any part of world in that matter.

Sudha Murty’s GFTB revolves around the life of character called “Shrimati” who is born-scholar, understanding girl with brilliant academics. She has a classmate-cum-neighbor called “Shrikant” who is intelligent and handsome guy. Their families have rivalry amongst themselves and so they are not on talking terms. Somehow the cupid strikes, Shrimati and Shrikant fall in love with each other and have their secret daily morning meetings at “Bakula” tree which is between their houses. Their love bloom with Bakula blossom. Shrimati in spite of topping the SSC board takes up Arts stream and does her BA and then MA with History as per main subject. Shrikant takes up Science and joins IIT and goes to Mumbai. He does extremely well there and completes his B Tech. Shrimati chooses to marry Shrikant instead of continuing her studies.
They marry each other going against families and they land up together in Mumbai with lots of dreams about their future. Shrimati is not accepted by her in-laws as Shrikant’s wife and they do all that they can to trouble her in all possible ways. Shrimati fights against all odds to support Shrikant to pursue his own dreams.

Shrikant’s hard working and ambitious nature helps him to climb ladder of great professional success within short span of time. At same time, Shrimati merely becomes his shadow, non-demanding, quiet and supportive. Wealth, prosperity, fame, name takes toll of their happiness and love. Shrikant turns emotionless and ignorant towards her due to his ambitions and work demands. There comes a stage where Shrimati finds herself alone and helpless, most important is – without Shrikant. She takes decision to live rest of her life in her own way.

What decision she takes? Does Shrikant ever understand feelings and frustration of Shrimati? – you should read the book to know it.