Bride Wanted : For NRI, IT professional working in Canada,....
We Indians love celebrations especially weddings and when
there is an eligible bachelor, the whole family wastes no time in getting him
settled. 27 year old Parasuraman is no exception. An IT professional working in
Canada, Parasuraman’s profile is like a
bride magnet. His sister, back home in India and his Aunt living in San Jose, each pick a
potential bride for him. Bride No.1 , Tara can become the girl of his dreams,
if only Parasuraman can impress her father. Bride No.2…. A south Indian Tamil girl,
a demure pretty girl, Parasuraman does not speak Tamil. And then there is Jennifer, his Canadian
colleague who professes her love for Parasuraman. Fate delivers a cruel twist, a few months
before the wedding, recession hits the economy and Parasuraman is laid off his
work.
How Parasuraman resolves his troubles and eventually finds
his bride makes the rest of the story. A relatively predicable tale but with
some well-timed twists, the book is a light read. Abound with “Indian
sentiments” , there are many characters of a typical indian soap opera - a zealous aunt, bossy elder sister , a
loving grandmother and other extended family members- most of the scenes are
abuzz with activity. Boisterous, colorful, and lively, all the elements for a
perfect Indian wedding themed book, if only for that part of the narrative
where the characters sometimes came across as superficial and the dialogues were a bit strained.
A final note: In my perspective, it is easy to overlook these foibles and enjoy
this debut novelist’s work.
