When Jane Austen was writing “Pride and Prejudice,” she would not have imagined that the questions she had raised through the ironical mode would hold relevance in the real sense year slater too in a land miles away from England. The beauty of the subject was such that in addition to amusing the readers, it made them seriously connect with the characters on the whole. Vathi Agrawal in “Marriages not made in Heaven” draws a similar parallel to the timeless classic but draws a unique trajectory by blending it with the modern world families. Through the predicament of three different girls in the same family, the author shows a world that is normal, routine, ordinary, and yet unique and extraordinary in the way their lives, personalities, and the plays that destiny has for them. While beginning at the same central point, their lives reach different corners by the time the novel is completed.
“Marriages not made in Heaven” begins in an interesting fashion which features the worry of every parent and the efforts they make to settle their children. In the midst of this, their destinies intertwine with a number of people who have their respective influences on their personalities and bring out other sides of their characters. As the title signifies, the idea about marriages being made in heaven is entirely tossed out of the window, and the alliances are formed based on criteria determined at an individualistic level based on the perceptions formed through materialistic gains. These ideas run the central determining factors from both the bride and groom’s side as well as their well-wishers. Even though the readers are left intrigued, they can’t help but agree with the ideas that resonate in “Marriages not made in Heaven.”
The novel also features a bunch of characters who are unique, distinct, extremely different from one another, and possess personality traits that distinguish them on the whole. The characters of Payal, Simran, and Nisha portray the life of three different worlds based on their perceptions and their desire to have their lives run the way they want. While they are strikingly different, their life choices are equally astonishing and equally surprising is the turn of events that occurs in each of their lives. Contributing to this, the choice of their better halves is equally interesting. In the midst of this, the 3 girls show their personalities to be independent, assertive, and not willing to give in without a fight for whatever they may face. While mostly, marriage is shown to be the ultimate prospect of a person’s life and the key to a happily ever after, the author shows the dystopian world that persists after marriage and how the grass is not greener on the other side. The author does not take a dig at the concept but honestly shows how different life can be when a person makes their choices.
“Marriages not made in Heaven” is an interesting book that keeps the readers involved from the beginning to the end while giving ample space to the characters to grow, develop and evolve and explore their lives on their own while also reaping the benefits or experiencing the effects of their decisions. These characters also share crucial life lessons with the readers through their actions and the consequences they face thereafter. This book would be highly relatable and understandable to the readers due to the characters that are drawn from the present time, who live and breathe individualism, and have similar issues to what people face today and yet remain bent to living their lives on their terms. This is the beauty of Agrawal’s writing and the key feature to keep the readers engrossed in the text.
In that sense, “Marriages not made in Heaven” goes beyond the traditional endings and explores what happens next, which begins in the early phases of the story. The structuring of the novel is done in a way that gives space to each life and character. The book is suggested to every reader, whether they read fiction or non-fiction. Even though the book is in the fictional form, the inspiration from the real world, the themes being based on the present-day, and the happenings being based on the Indian land make the book very Indian in essence. Through Nisha and Ananya, the author shows a contrast of states and yet, destiny being the one to pull the strings. Simran’s calculated moves show her to be the winner, while Payal’s independence shines in the later stages when she gives up practically everyone.
Due to the richness of characters and multiple plots, “Marriages not made in Heaven” by Vathi Agrawal will be an interesting book to be read.
