The Shaadi Brouhaha - Review

Launching a newbie into the Indian matrimonial scene is like introducing a new iPhone in an already saturated market has to be sleek, overflowing with catchy features and better than the already available versions. So when twenty-five-year-old Nitya Trivedi is forced into it by her ever so enthusiastic mother and pestering relatives, she hardly knows what she has bargained for. In her journey to find her soul-mate, she becomes Dollarkumar's Poundkumari, ends up fasting on party days to make peace with her horrorscope, attends hilarious 'arranged' meetings through various matchmaking portals and people - all under the nose of her extremely evil, but deliciously debonair boss Rudra Desai. With besties tying the knot and cousins 'stealing' prospective groom, wonder how Nitya's mother will find the perfect match for her only daughter. But as always, love will find a way in the midst of The Shaadi Brouhaha..

About the Author

Born in UAE and brought up in India, Anjlee Shah has completed her MBA from Cardiff University. Currently she works and lives in England with her husband. Intrigued by arranged marriage in Indian culture, she decided to write her debut novel. In her spare time she loves to read, write and travel.

A primary reason to pick up ‘The Shaadi Brouhaha’ is that it is relatable. A second reason, well, the humour is delectable. Ask for third, and I would say, the plot is damn believable.

Nitya Trivedi, ‘CA pass without fail and currently working with Axis Bank’, realizes she is no better than an iPhone in a saturated market when she is pushed into the matrimonial hullabaloo. All well and good, and though initially she feels doubtful, she confidently goes ahead with it guided by Monali bhabhi, who makes sure she handles questions like age and weight carefully in her matrimonial profile.

Nitya wishes for a partner who will understand her, giver her her own space, and be compatible to her needs. Over the course of time, she meets several prospective candidates, whether it be the US – return Dollarkumar, who admitted being gay, or the ‘blackberry in one hand and an iPhone on his right ear’ Jigla, whose father proudly declares ‘our family members are very impotent to us’. Unfortunately, she fails to find a life partner in most of them.

Until she finds her man, or so she thinks.

‘The Shaadi Brouhaha’ is a tale that focuses on the nuances of an arranged marriage, the serious issues surrounding it, albeit in a light hearted manner. Through Nitya’s story, we come face to face with the pros and cons that surround this style of matrimony. Getting acquainted with a stranger, knowing what clicks and what not, and then trying to decipher the chemistry is a task that many undertake in the country. Often, we start liking someone, only to realise that the relation doesn’t have a definite conclusion, leading to heartbreak, tears and lots of tears. Nithya experiences the same emotions, the same pain, of a rejection that is totally unexpected, leaving her shattered.

However, as they say, everything happens for good. Love blooms, and blossoms gradually, and as expected, the tale swims through a happy conclusion, but not before it experiences a few twists and turns on the way, which in a way is good, as it engrosses the readers’ attention throughout the journey.

Nitya Trivedi is a character we all know and can identify with. She is real, her confusions reflecting our own stream of thoughts. Her reactions to the prospective grooms, and her conversations with them is often the best part of this book. Not only are they funny, but they also reflect the truth of our society. Nitya meets a number of suitors, but nowhere does the narrative bogs down due to large number of characters, as the author Anjlee Shah has taken proper care to provide unique individual characteristic traits to all of them, thus each meeting brings forward a whole new experience, and a stream of interesting subplots.

‘The Shaadi  Brouhaha’ shines on several fronts, be it the subtle romance between the protagonists, the suspense never ending in the pages, or the humour that encompasses that floats throughout the book. Anjlee Shah displays the competitive environment encircling arranged marriage, with every person trying to get the best catch. However, at the end of the day, amidst all the arranged marriage hungama, it’s love that emerges victorious, signifying that whether one goes for arrange marriage or not, a successful partnership is one that is full of care, understanding and love; love, love and lots of love.

And it’s love stories like this that makes you feel good and smile, like a smiley :-)

Title: The Shaadi Brouhaha.. : Arranged Marriage Hungama

Author: Anjlee Shah

Publisher: Srishti Publishers & Distributors

Publication Year: 2015

Language: English

Binding: Paperback

Genre: Fiction, Romance

No. of Pages: 216

Price: Rs 195

My Rating: 4/5

Ripples

(Image Source: http://www.geograph.org.uk)

this morn on bridge

those hurled pebbles tell my tale

ripples greet me back

This Haiku is shared with Carpe Diem - On The Trail With Basho Encore #9 Bridge of Morning.

Murder with Bengali Characteristics - Review

To read the full review, click HERE.


Title: Murder with Bengali Characteristics
Author: Shovon Chowdhury
Publisher: Aleph Book Company
Publication Year: 2015
Language: English
Binding: Hardcover
Genre: Literature, Fiction, Crime
No. of Pages: 204
Price: Rs 395
My Rating: 3/5

In The Mystic Fall

(Image Source: http://s145.photobucket.com/user/mydayspring/media/WaterfallFairy.gif.html)

secretly he paints

his fairy's glistening dance

in the mystic fall

This Haiku is shared with Carpe Diem - Taki (Waterfall).

Honey Diet

With summer reigning at full force, how can one stay away from the delicacy of desserts? Ice-creams and brownies are the flavours of the season. The taste buds know no bound, and with sweetness layered in your food, you cannot but help control the advent of excess weight. We all love to savour such mouth watering dishes, but most of the time what we consume leads to junk, harming our health and the entire well being.

With the scales of the weighing machines racing to numbers that create panic in our minds, we often resort to means that lead to loss of weight in a real quick team. We opt for crash diets to gain instant results. However, while we wish to ‘look’ fit, we forget that we also have to ‘stay’ fit, causing adverse effects on our bodies.

We go for crash diets ‘cause we believe they offer reduced calories. However, we neglect the fact that crash diets devoid our system of proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates and minerals, the vital components of health. Due to this, we get weak and may also fall sick. What’s the use of embracing such a system that will cause immense harm to our body in the long run?

A balanced diet is thus preferred. Not only do we get our daily supplement of energy, but it also leads to fitness over a long period of time. We do not feel tired after a few hours of work, and can strive for that extra mile in our avenues. A balanced diet contains the key ingredients that we should eat on a daily basis, focusing on long term gains in instead of shorter ones.

Now, what if a balanced diet is both nutritious and tasty? Pure bliss, correct? Dabur Honey presents Honey Diet, that not only lures your senses but also keeps you healthy, fit and fresh. Honey has innumerable benefits, and can be eaten with several different varieties of food. It aids in controlling weight, ensuring that you do not gain the excess fat. Honey has lesser calories than sugar, but contains a healthy amount of vitamins and minerals that help in the overall development of the body. It is easily digestible, and is a great source of energy.

Honey is not only a good food product, but can also be used as a medicine. If you are suffering from cold or cough, a few tea spoon of honey is what you need, and in no time you will be up and running. Honey when applied to skin increases glow and shine, and can also be used as a beauty product.

Honey Diet is thus a perfect way to start, continue or end your day. A daily dose of honey will make summer all the more beautiful, brighter and fitter.

Check the official pages of Honey Diet below:

http://www.daburhoney.com/

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UC Cricket, For Lovers Of The Game

We often feel the need to surf the internet on our smartphones, in home, office or when we are out. It’s the best way to pass our time and also gain knowledge. However, to access internet in a proper manner on our mobile devices, a well designed browser is of utmost importance. We do not need a flashy browser, or one with lots of extravagance. What we need is a tool that will make our surfing experience easier, economical and quicker. In that regards, UC Browser truly fits the bill.

US Browser is fast, very fast, and the best thing is that it works seamlessly even in 2G speed. Surf any site, the pages will load in an instance. UC Browser also comes packed with UC Cricket, which is a blessing for a nation with innumerable Cricket lovers, me being one of them.

UC Cricket provides a viable alternative to people like me who may not have the convenience of being in front of the TV every time a match is in progress. Work commitments leave us little time to actually sit and watch hours of cricket on the big screen. However, being die – hard fans, how can we think of staying aloof when a crucial encounter is going on? UC Cricket answers our needs. It displays the current status of the match, including scores, wickets and individual performances of batsmen and bowler. The details have been taken good care of, and the comprehensive analysis is commendable. The ball by ball report is an icing on the cake, adding more feathers to this brilliant browser. Never again would you miss a single instance of the match. The excitement and the adrenaline rushes right into your mobile screen.

The last time India played a Cricket match, I was engrossed deep in work. Even though I wanted to watch the game with my colleagues in the recreation room, it wasn’t possible due to the bundle of tasks that were pending from my end. It was at that moment when someone suggested me UC Cricket. I already had the app on my phone, as I did my web browsing through it. I turned it on, and was instantly transported to the game. With regular feeds coming onto my screen, I could now be connected to my favourite sport and work on my assignments at the same time. I no longer had to leave my desk to watch the game elsewhere. It was right on my mobile browser.

UC Cricket is the perfect integration to UC Browser. For Cricket fans it is a blessing in disguise. They say that the world is at our fingertips. I am not sure of the world, but Cricket news for sure now rests on our fingertips. Live matches and videos, it has everything, and once you start using it, you are destined to fall in love with it.

Check the official pages of UC Browser and UC Cricket here:

http://www.ucweb.com/

http://www.ucweb.com/English/UCbrowser/cricket.html

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