Piece of Cake
by Swati Kaushal
Another chick-lit but a well written one.
Minal Sharma, a 29 year old, tall, career oriented girl of the 21st century, has her life revolving around her job. With not much of a personal life (read: no boyfriend), and a typical Indian mother who ends up placing her details in a matrimonial section of a leading newspaper, Minal’s character is sure to resonate with quite a few girls of the urban/metro cities who are trying to live their life on their terms.
She is a charming and humorous dame, committed to her job. She faces the usual career graph with ample of crests and troughs, and regains footing after every downfall. She is open to the idea of meeting men, falling in love, and eventually settling. But she wants to ensure that her life isn’t dictated by the one “wearing the pants in the house”.
The story is set in Delhi. Minal works with International Foods (IF) as an associate product manager. She apparently has a major task at hand – the launch of a new “cake”. But as life would have it, someone steals their recipe/advertising idea and passes it along to their rivals. Of course, Minal faces the brunt of it all. And the story slowly leads to the revelation of the truth and the real culprit.
A pretty hilarious read, this, it has all the “masala” life is made up of. From groom hunting to balancing and saving her backside at work, Minal comes across as a very sweet character – someone who you can instantly connect with.
And as far the men in her life are concerned – there are a couple.
Her neighbor, Ali, a sexy radio jockey, oozes appeal and makes her go weak in the knees. There are sparks of chemistry between the two.
Then comes her childhood friend, Sunil Pandye, a doctor. Though a brilliant young man, he is quite boring as per Minal’s taste. But ain’t that the bitter truth of life? All the good, caring, well-settled, men are boring, while the unstable, wild ones are the attractive, charming lot!
We also come across Yogi, a good friend who helps her when the chips are down. And of course, an old schoolmate and competitor – Rana – who can go to lengths to ruin her career.
A very honest portrayal of feelings and situations brought out beautifully by the author makes this quite an interesting read.
The plot is tight, the humor is refreshing, the writing is simple, the characters appear real, and overall it gives you a real picture of the 21st century working girls – caught amidst family values and new life in an urban city.
Swati seems to have a way with words. The writing style is creatively fresh. Certain context might feel western, but it is hugely Indian at heart.
The humor in this book definitely deserves a thumbs up!
Psst…there actually is a recipe of a cake in the first few pages!!!
soniareviews 