Book Review: Never Say Never by Anjali Kirpalani

I’m definitely not a huge fan of chick-lit but Anjali Kirpalani’s debut novel Never Say Never is both refreshing and funny, a breath of fresh air that is young at heart and sweeps you away. The genre is predominantly targeted at young adults and unfailingly keeps you entertained till the end.

Never Say Never is the story of 25 year old Nikita (an impulsive and confused female protagonist sure to bring a smile on your face) who is unemployed and desperately in love with her best friend's fiancé Raghav, a radio jockey on popular radio station Spruce FM. To top it all, Nikita is in a relationship with Deepak, a man she finds absolutely intolerable. Living off her best friend Aziza (who is gorgeous to boot) in a tiny apartment in Mumbai, Nikita makes six vows on her cousin Natasha’s wedding night which include to never marry for money, never doubt her abilities, never have feelings for an unavailable man, never stay in a relationship with someone she doesn't love, never get completely drunk in public and never wear velvet! Caught between love and loyalty, Nikita’s life is turned upside down when a series of unexpected events hurl Nikita and Raghav together. As if this isn't enough, Nikita’s current beau Deepak (who actually turns out to be the owner and heir to some multimillion company) proposes marriage to her. Can Nikita yet stick to her vows? Will Nikita get a job and eventually marry for money?

Narrated mostly by Nikita, the story also brings to light the lives of Aziza, Sid and Raghav (narrated in their own voices). Aziza, who is all set to marry Raghav, finds herself increasingly drawn to her ex-boyfriend Mohsin while Sid (tall, dark and handsome; in short a woman’s ultimate fantasy) struggles with his feelings for Nikita.  Raghav on the other hand feels trapped in his relationship with Aziza and finds himself unable to resist Nikita’s charm.

Yes, all this may definitely sound very confusing but the story surprisingly isn’t so. The narration is witty, simple and hilarious and the characters, struggling with their own emotions, are well expressed. Most importantly, read this book if you wish to be entertained on a lazy summer afternoon. It is sure to bring a smile to your face and keep you hooked (with its unpredictability...umm, okay gets a bit predictable in the end) and the pages turning.

Verdict: High On Entertainment!! Read it if you have nothing better to do. ;)

Rating: 3.1/5

Writer's Block..

I looked up at the ceiling, taxing my brains as hard as I could to force it to come up with some amazing brainwave that would instantaneously fire my imagination. I looked at the fan, the walls, the LCD placed directly ahead and screwed my eyebrows in concentration. I went out into the balcony and stared at the cat looking haughtily back at me. I made faces at the cat, stuck my tongue out, threw up my hands and pretended to do a jig and finally after no response from its end I came back inside and went back to staring at the ceiling. Ah...Writer’s block again.

My Imagination had finally decided to pack her bags and take a much needed vacation to Imagineville. After relentlessly forcing her through a whirlpool of words and sentences, she had finally thrown a tantrum and decided she had had enough of my constant obsession with writing. Before leaving she had also advised my Subconscious to incessantly remind me of her importance. Afterall, I was prone to take her for granted.

I could totally imagine my Imagination looking scornfully back at me from behind those fake nerdy glasses she so insisted I sport in real life and saying,” Serves you right for putting me through your cryptic whims and phases.” This was ofcourse essentially true. I had first forced her through the philosophical phase, then the romantic phase, then the biographical phase and finally the gloom phase. So by the time I was feeling upto the humour phase, I had checked in only to find the note she had so unceremoniously dumped with my Subconscious. In it was written in bold letters- Better luck (though I seriously doubt it) without me!!

I finally decided to emerge from my musings and opened the laptop. The blank page mocked me. I desperately prayed for some random sensible jumble of words to magically appear on the screen. But even my comrade of life seemed to be in alliance with the one hell bent on ruining my life. I sighed. It was time to honour Imagineville with my gracious presence. My Subconscious chuckled. I gave her a dirty look.

So as I closed my eyes and drifted off, she emerged from behind the doors of her mansion. Hands folded across her chest, tapping her feet to some absent beat and wearing a most infuriating expression of smugness on her face she smiled at me like someone had just sold out free rights to an unlimited supply of hot chocolate for a year. I slumped my shoulders in defeat. And ofcourse she then had to go into a detailed rant of all my nonsensical whims and idiosyncrasies. I had no option but to listen patiently. Amateur writer that I was, I was entirely dependent on Her Highness for brilliant flashes of ‘Imagination’. Miss Highty Mighty might as well vent then decide to take a lifelong vacation in the Maldives.

At this point I emerged from my trance and looked at the white blank screen. I grimaced. I did take her for granted. In my mind’s eye she smiled at me and unable to stop myself I smiled back at her. And with a sudden flash of inspiration, I started typing as fast as I could, grinning broadly the whole time.