The Dubious Relationship: A contemporary look at single-motherhood and social norms

The authors begin the story by saying how they got hold of the plot and that sparks an instant interest.

This story is about single mothers and their struggles, a topic that is so close to today's society.

The story is about Snehanka and Deyashi— besties, soulmates.

Snehanka is a spoilt, rich daughter of millionaire parents, one of whom is a famous media personality.

Deyashi is the daughter of middle-class parents—a girl with strict values and orthodox principles.

The two are as different as chalk and cheese and yet they find a kindred spirit in each other. They are inseparable.

The real test of their friendship begins when the rich Snehanka gets knocked up by her boyfriend. Snehanka is famous because of her famous mother and her condition gets highlighted in the media.

The heart-broken teenager has nowhere to hide.

Her own parents are too busy to help her or to sympathise with her and it is Deyashi’s parents who take her in as their adopted daughter.

Deyashi’s parents are not afraid to fight the world and give her shelter when her own parents turn her out of the house.

Snehanka wants to set out in search of her missing boyfriend and even though Deyashi understands the pointlessness and foolishness of this endeavour, but she still sticks with her friend and supports her through ordeal.

The narration of the story moves at such a pace that it becomes impossible to keep the book down for even a second.

The characters also have been created in an intriguing way and that just adds to the beauty to the story.

All the teenage characters, such as Snehanka, Deyashi, Yash, Aditya, are all people who we see around us and yet we hardly known when these people are going through some extremely hard conditions.

This treatment makes the story and the characters much more relatable. The strongest point about the story is the friendships that have been portrayed here.

The story broaches the all important topic of feminism too.

The central character gets pregnant when she is just eighteen and then the boyfriend runs away. So the whole society expects the girl to go and get an abortion.

But here Snehanka chooses the harder way. She chooses to keep the child. Neither is she financially independent nor is she mature enough to become a mother and yet she takes the decision.

Yes, this decision can be called foolish. But then it is Snehanka’s life and she should be allowed to decide what she wants.

Is society right in ostracising her just because she wants to keep her love-child? Her love was real for her and her baby means everything to her. How can the society judge her for that?

This story entertains you thoroughly and then lets you ponder over some very serious questions—questions that can go a long way in liberating a woman.

(Reviewed by Priya Das)