girls, each one is of a completely different personality. The book is
also about siblings, the relationships , the mother daughter connection,
and the impact Rains have had on this Sahni family.
Narrated
through the voice of Kittu[Kirti], the tomboy of the family, the one
girl who stands out from the lot, the one who has made it on her own,
with grit and gumption.
The story is about Kiran who commits
suicide giving into a battle that she feels she has lost and has no idea
how to deal with failures.. It is also about her father who shuts
himself out on her death, stays in her room but eventually proves he
cares and loves his other daughters.
It is about the mother,
how she favours one child over the other, how she treats the one
daughter, Kajal who is fair and beautiful better than the others, how
the girl, Komal who is dark and not so pretty is made to do all the
cooking and other errands around the house, while others enjoy a
carefree life.
There is also the tale about the grandmother, a
mother in law, and a mother, who is the backbone of the family, who has
been through a lot, had to deal with the battles of the country,
seperation from her family, the sister who makes an appearance later
[who has converted to a Muslim with whom Sumitra breaks all ties then
and there]
And then there is the rain… Sweet little drops of
water that dont seem to bring anything but bad luck and pain to this
family. Everytime there is a wonderful function or moment about to
happen, the pitter patter of rain is a sign that things are about to go
wrong. Everytime it rains, the mother and grandmother are petrified and
hold their hearts in their mouth with fear, anticipating the worst.
The characters in the book are-
Sumitra: The matriarch, the woman who holds the Sahni Family together.
Krishnakant: Sumitra’s son who often leans towards the mother when battling with the wife.
Naina: The mother, a very frustrated wife, and with big dreams for her daughters
Kiran: Naina and Krishnakant’s first daughter. Smart, talented, good at studies, but knows nothing but winning.
Kajal: Second daughter, very beautiful, and very aware of her beauty and the power it has over men
Komal: third daughter An average[dark] looking girl. Extremely talented
in singing, but does not sing at home since her dad bans it, stammers
when nervous and an amazing cook
Kirti (kittu): the youngest of the
Sahni clan. A rebel, a fitness instructor by profession and hell bent on
creating her own identity
Ranbir: A businessman who was chosen for Kajal but ends up marrying Komal.
Vinayak Kapoor: A family friend of the sahnis.
Urmila: Vinayak’s wife and almost a member of the Sahni family , who encourages Komal in her singing pursuits.
The book is a good read , it is a book that will have you wondering what next in the pages…
