WHEN PADMA BANI WIFEY - BOOK REVIEW - #WRITEAPAGEADAY #BLOGCHATTER

-

 
Amazon.in

The dedication says it all.

“To all the square pegs in round holes! Salut!”

Padma, who turned into Paula for a short while in Book 1, is back with all her vivacity and quirkiness in Book 2, so engagingly titled ‘When Paula Bani Wifey’. Author Anupama Jain’s sense of humour shines out from the eye-catching cover itself, so vibrant and yet so telling, as it brings out the dichotomy in the mind of the protagonist.

Padma and Varun Raichand, along with their daughter, Sampoorna, form the crux of this entertaining novel. Padma, pushing 40 yet looking 30, is at the crossroads in her life when her nosediving career and her pleasant plumpness are both giving her nightmares.

Varun, who loves his wife and daughter to distraction, is the “completely hands-on father. A new-age man, a millennial father” who enjoys spending time with his precious daughter. A sore point with Padma who is “very touchy about her maternal rating” in her daughter’s eyes!

Padma’s discontent with her life is revealed through her thoughts which the author has thoughtfully put in italics. Whether it is a romantic holiday alone with Varun, an exasperating trip to the gym, the frustration at her mother’s constant remote parenting and grandparenting or her fluctuating mood swings, Padma senses “the Universe’s signal of discordant notes all around.”

 Issues between Padma and Varun keep spiralling out of control and Padma begins to feel  inadequate, as the whole world envies her for having such good fortune and “tiny schisms start widening into glaring gaps in their relationship”.

“They say marriages are made in heaven and experienced on earth. So are tsunamis, typhoons, thunderstorms, and earthquakes.

It all starts slowly before the tempest builds up and then annihilates everything in between.”

To make matters worse, Padma’s old flame, Rohit, comes back into her life along with his gorgeous fiancée, Janaki aka Jo.

How do Padma’s veering emotions react to this new equation in their lives?

How does Padma’s capriciousness affect Varun’s personal and professional life?

In what manner does all the unpleasantness impact their little daughter, Sampoorna, “the loveable glue” who held her warring parents together?

Finally, what is the straw that breaks the camel’s back? Will Padma and Varun be able to sort out their differences and move on to their hopefully ‘happily ever after’?

‘When Padma Bani Wifey’ is an absorbing read that is written with humour and empathy. Anupama Jain’s writing style is uniquely her own, peppered with modern lingo and picturesque witticisms. She not only amuses but makes one ponder over the mysteries of life, including the thorny field of marital and other relationships. This sequel to ‘When Padma Bani Paula’ carries on the saga of the feisty Padma who refuses to mellow down, under any circumstances.

Padma may come across as unpredictable and impulsive, but those are the very qualities that make her unforgettable as well. She is a force of nature in her own right.

I am participating in the #Blogchatter #WriteAPageADay challenge.

495 words


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THE STRANGE CASE OF THE MISSING TEETH

-
Image
                                                                            Clipart.com I cannot forget the shocked expression on the young dentist’s face. “Where are all your teeth?” “Uhh… in my mouth, where they should be?” I mumbled, perched on the leather chair as he peered into my mouth. His eyes widened with bewilderment as he leant forward, almost falling into the gaping cavern in front of him. “Three missing here… three on the other side! Two more here and a broken tooth!” I was quite shocked out of my wits. Where had all my teeth disappeared to? I did recall a few sittings earlier where some of my wisdom had been yanked out, but eight and a half teeth? I was a walking miracle! More importantly, an ‘eating’ miracle! When my better half agonised over one painful grinder that made lif...
Read more

Clouds and Waves by Rabindrananth Tagore - Poetry: The Best Words in the Best Order - #BlogchatterA2ZChallenge2021

-
Image
     CLOUDS AND WAVES Rabindranath Tagore Amazon.com Serenity in the Garden Mother, the folk who live up in the clouds call out to me - "We play from the time we wake till the day ends. We play with the golden dawn, we play with the silver moon." I ask, "But how am I to get up to you?" They answer, "Come to the edge of the earth, lift up your hands to the sky, and you will be taken up into the clouds." "My mother is waiting for me at home," I say, "How can I leave her and come?" Then they smile and float away.    But I know a nicer game than that, mother. I shall be the cloud and you the moon.  I shall cover you with both my hands, and our house-top will be the blue sky.  The folk who live in the waves call out to me - "We sing from morning till night; on and on we travel and know not where we pass.            Sunaina Coelho I ask, "But how am I to join you? They tell me, "Come to the edge of the shore and stand wit...
Read more

The Miracle of Love - Fiction - Post Number 8: #MyFriendAlexa

-
Image
Credits: Col. Gopinath Menon The waves crashed on the rocks, a sound that Sudesh loved, as he sat feeling the freshness of the spray on his face. Voices echoed around him, and he could feel the vibration as people jogged along the beach, and his sightless eyes turned towards the movement. He had been coming to this spot for many months now, ever since he had shifted to Mumbai, after his mother had passed away.  The sound of the sea evoked a vision that he could only feel, not see. He could smell the delicious puris that Ram Prasad was frying, very near to where he sat. Every day the cheerful proprietor would look for a moment when there were few customers, and hand over a plate of piping hot puris and delicious potato curry to the gentle blind man who sat there, so young and so uncomplaining!                                                 ...
Read more