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The Secret Wish List by Preeti Shenoy is an engaging tale about following your heart while navigating friendships, true love, and parental expectations.
A book that was truly difficult to put down from the first page itself, was The Secret Wish List by Preeti Shenoy.
The book centers around Diksha, a young girl of 16, and later a 35 year old married woman and mother. It details how a romance at 16 changes the course of her life, her thought process, and subsequently, her actions. From the very onset, Shenoy’s style of writing ensures that one would feel a kinship with Diksha.
Whether we are able to draw parallels with our lives and her story is not what the author aims to achieve. Rather, she hopes that even though the story is specific to the character’s journey, we are able to foster a sense of understanding and empathy towards her. One is able to revel in her story, and it does indeed take one back to their own adolescent years – being all of 16 amid hushed whispers and giggles, the first real crush, or the feeling of being in love.
Complexities within a marriage are explained with profound insight – especially the deep seated emotions as well as superficiality that may creep into relationships. Though there are definite moral angles in the story, which I refrain from discussing lest I ruin the elements of the book, Shenoy is able to create moments of laughter, surprise and above all empathy through her words, which stream effortlessly across the pages. One yearns for the love and contentment she describes, and hopes to find such friendship and unconditional acceptance in their partner.
Preeti Shenoy helps one believe that love truly does exist. We must allow ourselves to break the shackles that are imposed by society and/or our own selves. Only then would we be able to realize our own worth and potential as individuals, and as women.
Not wanting to let go of the life lessons she talks about, I soon found myself ordering her latest book, ‘The One You Cannot Have’. Such is the conviction in her writing!
Publisher – Westland
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Soul centric and free spirited all the while living life through travel and adrenaline junkie activities. Counselling Psychologist and Educator by vocation. And a life and laughter enthusiast by heart. Usually found daydreaming about her read more...
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Shows like Indian Matchmaking only further the argument that women must adhere to social norms without being allowed to follow their hearts.
When Netflix announced that Indian Matchmaking (2020-present) would be renewed for a second season, many of us hoped for the makers of the show to take all the criticism they faced seriously. That is definitely not the case because the show still continues to celebrate regressive patriarchal values.
Here are a few of the gendered notions that the show propagates.
A mediocre man can give himself a 9.5/10 and call himself ‘the world’s most eligible bachelor’, but an independent and successful woman must be happy with receiving just 60-70% of what she feels she deserves.
Darlings makes some excellent points about domestic violence . For such a movie to not follow through with a resolution that won't be problematic, is disappointing.
I watched Darlings last weekend, staying on top of its release on Netflix. It was a long-awaited respite from the recent flicks. I wanted badly to jump into its praise and will praise it, for something has to be said for the powerhouse performances it is packed with. But I will not be able to in a way that I really had wanted to.
I wanted to say that this is a must-watch on domestic violence that I stand behind and a needed and nuanced social portrayal. But unfortunately, I can’t. For I found Darlings to be deeply problematic when it comes to the portrayal of domestic violence and how that should be dealt with.
Before we rush to the ‘you must be having a problem because a man was hit’ or ‘much worse happens to women’ conclusions, that is not what my issue is. I have seen the praises and criticisms, and the criticisms of criticisms. I know, from having had close associations with non-profits and activists who fight domestic violence not just in India but globally, that much worse happens to women. I have written a book with case studies and statistics on that. Neither do I have any moral qualms around violence getting tackled with violence (that will be another post some day).