The very
thought of a Punjabi Family reminds me of a serene lake in the midst of a
valley. Calm quite surface with no ripples is what meets the eye. But a peak
into the under surface tells a different story. With the sheen of the marriage
fading to a certain extent in a short span of four years Shalini was aghast to
see the turmoil below. The entire range of relatives from her in-laws side,
including the Buas and Massis were scheming, conniving, manipulative and
devious to the extent that it left her perplexed every now and then.
The story
revolves around the bragging Punjabi family creating sardonic situations out of
routine day to day life. Their penchant for running everyone down for their
speech and dress sense speaks volumes about their own mannerism. For Shalini
who is observing all this from the calm water above feels the life unfolding in
this Punjabi family as satirical and at times humorous.
In order to
share her experience in the Punjabi family, Shalini decides to pen down her
observations. Her task is made complex by the fact that her sister-in-law is in
love, and had confided this to Shalini. This dilemma whether to help or not is
further compounded by the fact that Shalini is not the favorite Bhau. It is a
complex mixture...a Punjabi Thali.
The initial
chapters are devoted towards the pre and post marriage period. Then it moves on
to the relatives and the resultant personification of various relatives. The
story also touches upon the sudden change in husband’s enthusiasm for life
after marriage.
While solving
the case for Shalini’s sister-in-law her husband finds his true self again and
speaks up for his relationship with his wife. He understands the essence of
being married and the need to take a stand.The climax was quite interesting
with twists and turns as they unfold. For that you need to read this book.
Now my Positive viewpoints:
The positives
of the story are the primitiveness in the narration that impressed me. The
author narrated the story in a very unique way; it seemed as if she is talking
to the readers personally. The author has been successful enough to connect
with the readers, I loved it, and I am sure that the target audience will love
this book too. Special mention how Rahul changed drastically and then took a
stand in front of his family in order to save his and Shalini’s basic rights,
and make Shalini feel important and precious for him.
Some suggestive points:
Although the narration of the story is wonderful but at some places the
story becomes stagnant. When the story does move; it inches towards the end, to
convey just a one line message that sums up the book. I feel the narrative was
coming back to the same point after each change of scene without adding much to
the story line. The author seemed confused in building the plot in initial few
chapters. The way it ended left the reader cheated, because as a reader we
always want to know the complete and proper end. Even typical melodrama of Saas
Vs Bahus’ was too much to handle after a given point of time.
Final words:
Overall if asked I would say this is a light
and simple book, perfect accompaniment to your weekend pastime. Overall I would
say...this is a good job done by Author (Swati K Gulati ) I would give 3 stars
to this book.
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