Book Review: The Runaway Bridegroom by Sundari Venkatraman

What the story is about:

Eight-year-old Chanda Maheshwari and thirteen-year-old Veerendra Singh Choudhry are married as per custom. But when the bridegroom runs away immediately after the wedding, the Maheshwari family’s world comes crashing down. They move to Jaipur to begin a new life in the city.

Fourteen years later, as a management student in Delhi, Chanda takes up a temporary job at RS Software Pvt. Ltd and finds herself falling head-over-heels for her boss, Ranveer Singh. But, for all her feelings, Chanda is still a married woman. Meanwhile, Ranveer’s secretary, Shikha, is determined to win him for herself. Even though his second-in-command, Abhimanyu, keeps getting in the way, she keeps a steady eye on the main prize. So when Ranveer starts to show an interest in Chanda, Shikha is furious. Back in Jaipur, an astrologer predicts that Chanda’s errant husband will soon make an appearance.

A secret childhood marriage, a vindictive secretary and unwelcome cosmic predictions—how much can Chanda deal with? And does anyone care about what she wants? Torn between the man she loves and the claim a missing husband still has on her, will Chanda ever find happiness?

My Review:

I first came across the Maheshwari clan in Sundari Venkatraman’s book The Smitten Husband which told the story of Ram and Sapna. And woven through the story were hints of a groom who had run away. I was intrigued and wondered how that story went.

Though this is a actually the first story in the series, it was the last I read. I went through Laxman’s romance and Bharat’s and Shatrughan’s as well , all the while wondering what was the secret behind Chanda’s marriage.

Finally, I got my hands on the paperback version of “The Runaway Bridegroom” and happily spent an entire rainy afternoon with my cuppa chai and Chanda and her husband.

It was heartbreaking to read about the marriage of an eight year old to an eleven year old. Sundari has captured the innocence of Chanda who does not even know what it means to be married as well as the trepidation of Veerendra who at eleven is aware that life is going to change and he is not ready for it.

One can imagine the burden of marriage on a child who is not ready for it, if he is willing to forsake all that he has, family, friends and security to get out of it. Running away at eleven is not easy, it is an act of desperation. And this more than anything speaks out against the custom of child marriages.

Chanda is left married yet unmarried. As she grows she cannot have a normal life like the other girls in her college or work place. She cannot allow herself to have a crush on anyone or allow anyone to get close to her. She is a prisoner of the system which says a girl who is married, no matter how young she was, has to keep herself chaste for her husband and is morally bound to him.

When Chanda and Ranveer meet, sparks fly and they fall head over heels in love with each other. But what of the secrets that their pasts hold? How will it affect their future?

I liked the fact that Chanda is innocent, yet she holds her own against Shika’s jealously and takes the time to go off by herself to find her own solutions rather than depend on the decisions of others.

The book is fast paced with never a dull moment; it grips you as you root for the young lovers and bite your nails in anxiety, hoping that things will turn out well.

Besides the main story, what I liked was the way the author has introduced the supporting characters, who appear in her later books: Laxman, Ruma, Shika and Abhimanyu.  It made me want to read all their stories as well, all over again.