The Tales Pensieve

Part of South Asian Challenge 2013 and Reading Challenge 2013: First Reads

So, a parrot green cover – a white clock – 30 over it – and a hookah, a lipstick, a ladies handbag and sunglass among other things splashed around! With a cover like that I don’t think I had any illusions about what I was getting into when Milan Vohra, very graciously asked me to read the book.

After the heavy weight Roll of Honour, women literature or chick lit (as is the popular call word, I have said this before, I just hate the term) is the right thing to balance out the mind. And balance out it did and how!

The back cover describes the book as the whacky side of India’s first Mills & Boon author and rightly so – the wackiness started with the acknowledgement page itself.

The book is roughly a week’s ride into a gang of friends who were together from college days and are now 30, settled in their lives are back! Unrealistic? The fun is Milan makes it quite realistic because like all those crazy gangs that we have all been part of while growing up and like all those weirdo yet adorable friends that we all had and like those silly pacts that we must have had at some point or other this gang from Sarva Niketan in New Delhi had a pact to meet when they all have turned 30. Lara Bagai, the youngest in the gang, is turning 30 and the whole gang now algae-ed out all through the world are coming together for the reunion birthday party for a whole week. They decide to stay together in one house just like old times sleepovers and hang out with each other. So they have Lara who has always fallen for the wrong guys, Sita who keeps popping in and out of love, Nanhi who is not at all Nanhi (little) or anything feminine, fat Riya and thin Riya – one cleanliness obsessed and the other fiber obsessed and are now physically quite the acronyms of their names, Sai – the diehard cassanova, Reeti – the ever experimental nomad, Pathak – ever is search of some good grass, Daniel – the non performer (Tsk! Tsk! You know post marriage non performance), Maneka – the non performer’s sex magazine editor wife and Nishad Nath – the serious hot shot painter.

Now turning 30 means two pacts for Lara, one with the gang which she is loving honoring and one with Nishad which now is her acneel heel. One tipsy evening before the gang parted ways Ms. Bagai and Mr. Nath had a pact. That if till 30 they are not hitched they will marry each other. Now the pain was Nishad’s all knowing smirk and the dialogues that follow; Lara for once does not want to give him that pleasure that he had been right about Lara’s ex all along and that she indeed feel for the wrong guy. So for a week lands amidst them Turkish dude, the flamboyant model but acting out as boring banker – Perzaan. Nishad himself has metamorphosed into an attractive magnet is not helping the cause and especially with all of the crazy gang back in their element again – it cannot be an easy lazed out week. Will not be.

Milan with Tick Tock We’re 30 takes the reader into that zone where all of us are those crazy friends and we associate with atleast one of characters. We may even know a few of them.

We are reminded of the quirkiness that can be on blatant display when friends get together and irrespective of the age cloud that we may presently be on the memories come out fresh. There are a lot of laughs along the way and inspite of the massive page strength of 402 the cover-to-cover ride is smooth. The narrative doesn’t drop or get boring because there is this impending end you are looking towards – a very Indian romantic climax – you know it is coming – you know it will happen – it is the throbbing excitement that keeps you turning the pages. Milan Vohra holds her reader well.

The only irritant for me was the usage of Hindi terms. I am all for using regional vernacular terms where it is required to emphasize the settings but overt use irritates me; after all we are reading a work in English.

It is a nice weekend, time pass, stress buster read. Some laughs, some romance, some relationship insights, some work stress, some irritants like in every group – it is all in there. Recommended read to get the curved line plastered on your face.

Happy Reading.

Thank you for the copy Milan. You were right this isn’t Mills and Boon; this was better & romantic too.

Title: Tick Tock We’re 30
Authors: Milan Vohra
Publisher: Westland Limited
ISBN: 978-93-82618-22-5
Pages: 402
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3.75 of 5
Reviewed for: Author

Best Price iRecommend: Buy Tick Tock We’re 30 from Infibeam.com

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Browse through the full list of book reviews in the depths of the Pensieve.