Just Married, Please Excuse - Book Review

I just finished reading ‘Just Married Please Excuse’ by Yashodhara Lal who blogs regularly on “Y On Earth Not”. The author is a Marketing Professional and more impressively, a mother of three. She has been married ten years and currently lives in her hometown of Delhi.

The back page of the book tells you what to expect. Caution! Marriage Ahead……

Yashodhara, a quick-tempered gal from the big city is hitched to Vijay, a laidback desi boy from a small town, in one word- Trouble! The young couple must learn to adjust to married life and to each other - whether it is Yashodhara's 'tamper tentrums' or Vijay's foot-in-mouth syndrome with a little help from their idiosyncratic staff, Zarreena and Vinod, their nutty friend Vivi and, of course, their respective families.

With the unexpected arrival of baby Anoushka a.k.a. Peanut, the battles escalate, fueled by their vastly divergent views on raising a child. Will their many differences - so endearing at the start of their romance, actually turn out to mean that they are just incompatible? Will they ever manage to agree on anything? Or have they just bitten off more than they can chew? 

A fresh and honest take on marriage and parenthood, and all the chaos that comes with it. This is a story of self-discovery that will have you laughing out loud - and sympathizing wholeheartedly with its quirky and likable cast of characters.

Yashodhara just solidified what I have known earlier. Husband/wife relationship is just opposite of mother/child relationship because mother and child begin as a single individual who later up end up as different individuals, whereas husband and wife begin as different individuals but try to become a single individual after being married. I have learned from my personal experience that human beings are unlike magnets. Remember those days in childhood when you tried playing with magnets where opposite sides attract and stick in a jiffy together. Well, when opposite people attract each other and try to be together; it will require a lot of work unlike the magnets.

Just Married Please Excuse by Yashodhara Lal is a book, which is not only entertaining but would really end up saving some marriages because it has touched all those problems young couple goes through. May be those who have read this book will end up laughing when they are going through similar situation instead of fighting over it.

I felt related to narration and also to the author, because I had been through some o f similar situations in my life and also tried to writeabout it, but my other half opposed to it as he was not interested in being featured on my blog, hence, I had to drop down the idea just after two blog posts. I know he will be wringing his hands in regret when I become famous. ;)

Though the problems gone through by the couple is not something to laugh about, the hilarious narration of Yashodhara makes us bellow out in loud bursts of laughter. The couple having problems, not talking to each other often, no new upgrading of romantic ventures which is leads them to marriage counseling, should have been a sad situation, because we worry about the little Peanuts, and how their marriage is going to end. At this junction Yashodhara brings in three Reema’s in the story when in reality there is none; making the whole situation so funny, that we lose track of the seriousness of the situation.  That is life, take problems with dollops of humor and the seriousness will fade away. I also enjoyed the land deal they had with Dilip. 

No wonder the lady is mistaken to be a bhookamp, after reading the book I do feel she is one bhookamp of a wife. A working woman, who is well settled down professionally, has loving husband and lovely daughter, two beautiful sons, the author is not like many women we find in India, neither she is like me, but all the questions about love, security, life which arises in her mind are similar to those lots of women go through. This is where she builds the connection with her female readers.  It is not easy for people to talk about their insecurities, especially the ones they feel in their married lives. I feel it must be the fear of being a failure that makes hypocrites out of us, but the author has confessed so many of the insecurities openly, that she really deserves a pat on her back for being that strong.

I really have to praise Yashodhara for being honest in her narration. There is no glorifying heroism on part of neither the hero nor the heroine. There are ordinary human beings with their own positive and negative points to be dealt with.  Kajal, is another hilarious character and unlike movie comedian maids, she is something you have come across in your life. An Indian woman who has not handled Atta is something unbelievable for me, because even though I did not cook before being married, I remember playing with Atta and making dolls with dough, plus I have watched both my kids do that when I cook.  

The books go through various episodes of adjustments and adaptation the couple make to create a happy relationship. We never get to see what Vijay Reema  oooppsss Vijay Sharma is thinking about the situation because the book is written through the wife’s point of view. It is all about love, marriage, children, and family of the new couple who are sailing in a boat on the rocky ocean.

I enjoyed reading the book and could finish it quickly. The real life narration of the book has the touch of a personal blog, no wonder as the author is a blogger.  The incidents are something which has been picked from everyday life events, but they have a hilarious twist and good narration which will hold our attention. I feel ‘Y’ has a long way to go seeing the good beginning she has made here. Good luck with your life and writings Yashodhara.

Details

Book :Just Married, Please Excuse          

By:          Yashodhara Lal

ISBN:     9789350292273

Cover Price:        Rs. 199.00

Format:                B/Paperback

Extent: 264  pages

Category:            Fiction