That Thing Called Love!!!
That thing called LOVE.. this is a novel by Tuhin A Sinha, apparently this is his first novel which basically explores the relationships in the contemporary, urban set up of Mumbai. I somehow do not agree with the caption as featured. The novel is not only about the life at Mumbai and the relationships shared by the couples coming all over India to live in that city but its could be said that the novel talks about unwanted circumstances which makes a life of an individual hell even though the so called thing 'love' tries to creep in which subsequently is the sole reason for the devastating end of the novel. When I started reading the novel it more or less seemed to be almost like the movie 'metro' but i can now safely conclude that it isnt that similar with the author tried to use such circumstances in the novel that would simply happen in an on going life.
There are two characters around whom the novel is circled. Its Revathi, the married female who was happily living her married life before meeting up this guy "Mayank". This guy has apparently fallen in love with the married woman and she inspite of having gut feeling that there is something a miss in the relationship shared between the two, never really bothered about it until one day when her chauffeur commented on not liking mayank because he thought that mayank just wants to have physical proximity with revathi. This fact somehow did not appealed her but she spoke about this with her husband and that is when the real problem starts in the married life of Revathi. Mayank would insist on talking to revathi late at night as she is free by that time from all her household works and everything and he would intentionally intrude in her personal life by asking her questions which despised her husband and made him not trust her loving wife whom he has proposed 10 years back. The love story of revathi and pranav (husband of revathi) is another part of the novel which describes as to how Pranav who was basically a lecturer had proposed revathi (student at that time) when she'd started working in Mumbai on the offer proposed to her by Pranav. Anyhow, the indulgence of Mayank in the personal life of Revathi made her married life suck as her husband would always caution her to be more careful about her hang outs with mayank and that he doesnt like the company of mayank with revathi.
[Revathi and Mayank were business partners and it is on some deal to save his business, that these two creatures came across each other and the meeting of Mayank with Revathi made mayank resurface his first love and he concluded that revathi is similar to Shweta (his first love whom he could not get married due to condition put by her father with regard to his earnings) and that he would want to marry her and not Rewa(he got engaged to Rewa because his parents wanted him to get married to him as he was unable to find a better prospect for himself inspite of him working in the website based company thematchmaker.com]
Anyways, the other part of the novel invloves two friends of mayank, viz Vishal and Anil, whose married life was also described by the author quite diligently. the problems surfaced in their married life was narrated constantly in the novel. The relationship of Anil was on the verge of break up but was saved as Rupali (Anil's Wife) tried to commit suicide because she was not able to explain her position to her husband. The sad part of the Anil's married life was that he had married a gal who was not able to come over her ex boyfriend whom she adored and was in love to a great extent and because she was spotted with him at one time when she has lied to her husband about a night out work at office, which created troubles in their relationship. But divine intervention saved them from any damage to their married life.
About Vishal, his ending was like one of those saying's that 'not every love story has an happy ending'. He actually was a male chauvinist who derived a strange kick out of cheating on his wife but he realised his mistake at some point of time and left that chauvinism and had started to be like a good husband. This was also because her wife had finally got pregnant and both of them were looking forward for their child. the twist comes in the life of Vishal when he surfaces the fact that the receptionist of his office 'Tina' with whom he had made love at one point of time confronted in him of the fact that she was pregnant. To his surprise, he came to know that she was a call girl but at this time she wanted help from Vishal to get herself aborted. Though Vishal was reluctant but he gave in and took her to a hospital where she could get her abortion done. What ruined the married life of Vishal and Gargi (Vishal's Wife) was the SMS sent by tina which was a thankful note to Vishal for getting her abortion done. Gargi misunderstood the SMS and without listening to any explanations, left Vishal and went away, putting their married life to an end by getting the abortion done on her too. [ :(]
Now coming back to main characters of the Novel, Revathi and Mayank. Revathi was proposed by mayank when she went to put her relationship to an complete end and this meeting was supposedly her last meeting as advised by Pranav. But the meeting turned out to be the reason of the end of the relation between Revathi and Pranav. The another reason behind their break up was another character in the novel 'Sonal' who had a huge crush on Pranav at one point of time and then they had parted ways as she married someone and went abroad but lately came back to India and in wake of getting in contact with her old friends, she contacted Pranav and tricked him to start a business with her which was agreed by Pranav.
The recital of the meeting where mayank proposed revathi devastated Pranav and with subsequent circumstances made revathi leave the house and stay alone somewhere with her small girl child "Ria'. this breakup between the two, made the Mayank to indulge in her life way beyond too much which her daughter had started disliking for her own personal reasons. But later neither Mayank and Revathi could land up together but even Revathi and Pranav got divorced.
After 2 years when Revathi decided to meet Mayank out of curiosity, it was a wrong timing as he had just got married to 'Sonia' in the court and after a small meeting which ended awkwardly, made Mayank wish that he would have never met Revathi and this was heard by Revathi who couldnt take this anymore and left from there without taking her cell which she forgot in his house.
The Novel is a good attempt at defining relations which can get so complex at times taking unexpected turns and creating a total chaos. Revathi's life is the symbol of married women's dilemma i.e. the problem faced by her when such obsessive lover comes out of blue to ruin their life completely. This is another saga of the times to come.....
There are two characters around whom the novel is circled. Its Revathi, the married female who was happily living her married life before meeting up this guy "Mayank". This guy has apparently fallen in love with the married woman and she inspite of having gut feeling that there is something a miss in the relationship shared between the two, never really bothered about it until one day when her chauffeur commented on not liking mayank because he thought that mayank just wants to have physical proximity with revathi. This fact somehow did not appealed her but she spoke about this with her husband and that is when the real problem starts in the married life of Revathi. Mayank would insist on talking to revathi late at night as she is free by that time from all her household works and everything and he would intentionally intrude in her personal life by asking her questions which despised her husband and made him not trust her loving wife whom he has proposed 10 years back. The love story of revathi and pranav (husband of revathi) is another part of the novel which describes as to how Pranav who was basically a lecturer had proposed revathi (student at that time) when she'd started working in Mumbai on the offer proposed to her by Pranav. Anyhow, the indulgence of Mayank in the personal life of Revathi made her married life suck as her husband would always caution her to be more careful about her hang outs with mayank and that he doesnt like the company of mayank with revathi.
[Revathi and Mayank were business partners and it is on some deal to save his business, that these two creatures came across each other and the meeting of Mayank with Revathi made mayank resurface his first love and he concluded that revathi is similar to Shweta (his first love whom he could not get married due to condition put by her father with regard to his earnings) and that he would want to marry her and not Rewa(he got engaged to Rewa because his parents wanted him to get married to him as he was unable to find a better prospect for himself inspite of him working in the website based company thematchmaker.com]
Anyways, the other part of the novel invloves two friends of mayank, viz Vishal and Anil, whose married life was also described by the author quite diligently. the problems surfaced in their married life was narrated constantly in the novel. The relationship of Anil was on the verge of break up but was saved as Rupali (Anil's Wife) tried to commit suicide because she was not able to explain her position to her husband. The sad part of the Anil's married life was that he had married a gal who was not able to come over her ex boyfriend whom she adored and was in love to a great extent and because she was spotted with him at one time when she has lied to her husband about a night out work at office, which created troubles in their relationship. But divine intervention saved them from any damage to their married life.
About Vishal, his ending was like one of those saying's that 'not every love story has an happy ending'. He actually was a male chauvinist who derived a strange kick out of cheating on his wife but he realised his mistake at some point of time and left that chauvinism and had started to be like a good husband. This was also because her wife had finally got pregnant and both of them were looking forward for their child. the twist comes in the life of Vishal when he surfaces the fact that the receptionist of his office 'Tina' with whom he had made love at one point of time confronted in him of the fact that she was pregnant. To his surprise, he came to know that she was a call girl but at this time she wanted help from Vishal to get herself aborted. Though Vishal was reluctant but he gave in and took her to a hospital where she could get her abortion done. What ruined the married life of Vishal and Gargi (Vishal's Wife) was the SMS sent by tina which was a thankful note to Vishal for getting her abortion done. Gargi misunderstood the SMS and without listening to any explanations, left Vishal and went away, putting their married life to an end by getting the abortion done on her too. [ :(]
Now coming back to main characters of the Novel, Revathi and Mayank. Revathi was proposed by mayank when she went to put her relationship to an complete end and this meeting was supposedly her last meeting as advised by Pranav. But the meeting turned out to be the reason of the end of the relation between Revathi and Pranav. The another reason behind their break up was another character in the novel 'Sonal' who had a huge crush on Pranav at one point of time and then they had parted ways as she married someone and went abroad but lately came back to India and in wake of getting in contact with her old friends, she contacted Pranav and tricked him to start a business with her which was agreed by Pranav.
The recital of the meeting where mayank proposed revathi devastated Pranav and with subsequent circumstances made revathi leave the house and stay alone somewhere with her small girl child "Ria'. this breakup between the two, made the Mayank to indulge in her life way beyond too much which her daughter had started disliking for her own personal reasons. But later neither Mayank and Revathi could land up together but even Revathi and Pranav got divorced.
After 2 years when Revathi decided to meet Mayank out of curiosity, it was a wrong timing as he had just got married to 'Sonia' in the court and after a small meeting which ended awkwardly, made Mayank wish that he would have never met Revathi and this was heard by Revathi who couldnt take this anymore and left from there without taking her cell which she forgot in his house.
The Novel is a good attempt at defining relations which can get so complex at times taking unexpected turns and creating a total chaos. Revathi's life is the symbol of married women's dilemma i.e. the problem faced by her when such obsessive lover comes out of blue to ruin their life completely. This is another saga of the times to come.....
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