Title: Those pricey Thakur Girls
Author: Anuja Chauhan
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers India
Publication Date: January 1st, 2013
Genre: Rom-com, Chick-Lit
I had very low expectations when I picked up this book, probably because my previous encounters with Indian authors haven't been very pleasant. But this book caught me by surprise. The cover says, "The only Indian writer of popular fiction really worth buying" ~ Mint. Damn right it is.
Set in the 80's this story revolves around Justice Laxmi Narayan Thakur and his 5 alphabetically named daughters,
Anjini, narcissist, flirt, married.
Binodini, who is constantly worried about her hissa in the family property, married.
Chandralekha, eloped on the eve of her wedding with a firangi, dukhti rag of Thakur, married.
D for Dabbu aka Debjani, our protagonist, who's stars have just started to shine brightly. Cheerleader of underdogs/losers, Protector of stray animals, who lands a job as an English newsreader on Desh Darpan, a govt funded channel. Not married, but of age.
And lastly, Eshwari, youngest, the popular girl at Modern school who knows her way around guys pretty well.
And then we have Dylan Singh Shekhawat, part-rajput, part-christian (Ladies, he is mine) passionate journalist who won't think twice about crossing the govt provided it's right
and for good. Very promising when it comes to the career but of "tarnished personal reputation" as the blurb quotes. Fearless in pursuit of truth and justice. He is obsessed with finding out the truth and people behind the massacre of Sikhs in Delhi which occurred after the assassination of Indira Gandhi - this happens to be our very intriguing subplot.
D for Dylan and D for dabbu's romance brews over kot-piece at evenings only to end up in mis-understandings. The pull-and-push of their relationship will have you screaming, get together already! If only it were that simple.
Chachiji (Wife Of Judge's brother) makes sure we're never out of laughs or drama. She brings the typical Indian Flavour to the book. Every character is full of life, you can't help but connect and absorb into their world, their feelings, their life.
Anuja Chauhan has done a great job of weaving this story, creating the nostalgia of 80's and the vocab that she used, OH MY GOD. This is the first line of the book - "On a still evening, early in April when bees buzz torpidly amidst black-eyed sunflowers and the scent of mango blossom is in the air.."
Each sentence is soo carefully and beautifully crafted, it's endearing.
This book is part hilarious, part serious, part relatable but 100% entertaining.
Full of indian melodrama and tadka. What I'd like to call a paisa wasool novel.
Recommended To: Those who love Bollywood Drama.
This book has a jump sequel, "The House That BJ Built" which released on May 2015.
Have you read Those Pricey Thakur Girls?
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