2 States - The Story Of My Marriage - The Review

I always love stocking up on South Asian
literature when I take trips to India and my
relatives living there have picked up on this.
Naturally, I was very pleased when my cousin
gifted me “2 States” as a going-away present.
I was even more pleased because both my
cousin and his wife had already read the book
and could not stop raving about it. I was very
excited to explore this novel, especially, since
it allowed me to get a glimpse of what kind of
stories my cousins in India enjoy and can
relate to.
Chetan Bhagat is on the rise among the
younger generations in India and has written
5 best-selling novels so far. He has also
earned the title of “the biggest selling English
language novelist in India’s history” by the
New York Times. Two of his novels have even
inspired Bollywood movies, “3 Idiots” being
one of them. After reading “2 States,” I can
vouch for all the hype that surrounds Bhagat.
The novel focuses on the love story of a Tamil
girl, Ananya and a Punjabi boy, Krish, who
were on a mission to get married. It follows
the story line of any typical Bollywood movie,
I wish I could say there were dramatic
deviations from this fact, but there wasn’t.
However, the book was still a great read!
Prior to the couple’s decision to get married,
Bhagat offers the readers an in-depth look
into the premarital relationship of the two,
which caught me by surprise. Trust me, when
I say that very few Bollywood movies would
include the details Bhagat did when it comes
to Ananya and Krish’s relationship. He
executed this in a very tasteful and natural
way without abusing the topic of premarital
sexuality as South Asian media so often tends
to do. The story flowed well and there was a
good balance between their life before
wanting to get married and their mission to
make the seven rounds of the fire.
Bhagat did a fantastic job of introducing the
readers to both character’s families and in
instances where both parties were present,
the juxtaposition exuded tension and
discomfort that definitely resonated with the
readers. This novel was very much about
family and how important it is to get the
families approval before embarking on
something with a significant other. After
reading this book, it is clear why couples in
India enjoy it so much. It also shows where
the younger generation stands in terms of
relationships and love marriage.
Check it out!!