2 States

I have read some Shakespeare too, but this guy, Chetan Bhagat, cracks me up like nobody else. His is a very unique style, pulling out some of the wittiest sentences I have ever read. You are reading a line, and then somehow he associates or likens it to your inner humorous instincts.

‘Five Point Someone’ was the first novel where Chetan took the grand canvass of IIT dream-study-life into a single wrap, and put it perfectly on the readers’ nerves. No wonders, every youth who read it felt vicarious about the whole story. My college buddies were loitering-enlightened selves after reading the stories of the three like-minded guys. It was such a refreshing novel for all of us in those mundane university study days.

‘2 states’ is again full of those moments when you feel life is so beautiful, despite so many harrying moments for the protagonists. Life moves on to IIM now. Krissh meets Ananya in that typical will-be-rejected mood in the college’s cafeteria. Studies bring them together more, and then love…and then sex … takes over. The courtship relationship continues for the full two years of study, and then the corporate life starts. Marriage proposal ensues, and then the drama of acquiescing the two families, from North and South India, starts and climaxes in the most cinematic way. Isn’t this the fantasy of all the youth in India right now?

I never studied in IIT or IIM, (though my professors insisted IIITM was IIT+IIM :) or had a girlfriend as cool, confident and cute as his. But it seemed he was revisiting the life around me. Consider these:-
• Krrish writes about the tragedy of the students having names starting with letter ‘A’. He was talking about his girlfriend ‘Ananya’, but instantly my mind wandered to my fellow mates who pulled up such big and meek faces when they were asked first to show their projects, reports or assignments
• Krrish wasn’t able to concentrate while studying with Ananya. The reason: every guy’s fantasy – “He wanted to kiss her”. Hey, isn’t that so real?
• Krrish and Ananya loved their parents and relatives very much, but couldn’t reconcile with their views on region, religion, caste, feminism etc all the time. Both knew the people around them were really good at heart but also products of their time. So, the couple didn’t have any qualms over drinking beer, pre-marital sex etc, but they also believed in national integrity, work ethics, morals of life. This is an exact replica of ‘Work Hard, Party Harder’ theme of everyone around me.
• And what about the brilliant description of corporate life? The financial experts and the ever esoteric jargons of them. And the fatuity of all the stuff. The people in Software, Banking, Insurance etc know how shallow the grandiose show is.

While describing these, he also dropped in some of the most risible lines, drawing boisterous guffaws from me. I wanted to quote some here but they are too many, and actually they will be more enjoyable when read with context. So, what are you waiting for? Go beg, borrow or buy the copy, and have a perfect post-siesta time of the weekend.