Book Review: Untruly Yours by Smita Shetty

The book begins on a lighter note where you get introduced to Natasha and her 11-year-old son Rishab while they clean the garden of their house. Readers’ get introduced slowly to the Rakesh – Natasha’s psychologist husband, who is professionally consumed, an alpha neatness-fetish man!  Theirs is a small family settled in US where Natasha works in a local Radio Station and Rakesh practices medicine.

Natasha comes from a fast forward Bengali family and Rakesh is a Tamil Brahman.  The writer takes you through a roller coaster laughter ride when you get introduced to over sized “Maya” the mother in law of Natasha. As one reads on, we find that though from outside everything looks fine in Natasha’s life, yet it is not the case. She misses the romance and appreciation in her life which should come from her husband. While she juggles through the routine and the emotions, she gets an unexpected call from India. This makes her travel back to India and she is accompanied by her son and her ‘devastatingly handsome work colleague’ Steve.

In India, she finds that her home land has under gone many changes however, the deep-rooted issues in the Indian Society still exists. The realization comes in the form of the visit to her friend Priti whose was a happy marriage but it came apart on dowry issues. Natasha helps settling her friend and on other side her own ‘one – man – woman’ status seems to go hay wire with she getting undue attention from Steve and her ‘blast from past’ Veer .

Natasha goes through a journey of self – discovery in India. What happens post this discovery? Will she go back to Rakesh? Or, will she decide to pursue Veer who still yearns for her? Pick the book and read it for yourself.

Over all “Untruly Yours” makes a good read, pick it up and read it at your own pace. It is a simple, sweet and short book. Smita Shetty as a debut writer makes a very good effort and has really written well.

Ginger Chai verdict – a very good read!