I read Anupama’s When Padma Bani Paula a few years ago and enjoyed the light hearted way in which Anupama highlights ageism and the challenges that a conservatively brought up Padma faces right up to the day of her wedding. And now Anupama is back to narrate another phase of Padma’s life!
Seven years after reinventing herself and marrying Varun, Padma aka Paula is bent on rocking the boat of her blissful wedded life with her mid life crisis. Our heroine is constantly overwhelmed, fussing about her work and fails to acknowledge her husband and all that he does for her. She annoys the reader so much, which is when you realise she is doing what a normal husband in an Indian household does. And to top it, Padma is an emotional wreck. She knows no boundaries, meddles in other’s affairs and is unable to deal with her emotions when things go downhill. All the while, Varun is being this docile and generous husband and doting father at home, a dream of a guy who reminds you a lot of the daily soap heroines that the audience roots for. Enter Rohit and Jo, a modern couple who stir the pot and add fuel to the burning fire of this dilapidated marriage. Does Padma redeem herself and save her marriage? Or does she choose to divorce and end a broken relationship?
This book is mature writing – thoughtful, funny and at times stunningly dark. Anupama portrays her characters brilliantly, taking you on an emotional ride with the story. Padma comes across as a perfect anti-hero just by living her life. She makes you laugh out aloud and then think deeply by being just so full of herself every moment of the book.
Read it with an open mind and prepared to be surprised by Padma, who is more than a handful for everyone dealing with her. Also, kudos to Anupama for writing Varun, a sensitive man who also comes with his flaws – a shining example of Men Written by Women.
The Ink Spear 