Sex and aamchi city

Three gal pals and a city chock-full with all kinds of men: available, unavailable, good, bad, ugly and oh-so-wrong! Rhea Saran makes her book debut with a desi version of the high-heeled Manhattan dramedy. we got our hands on the manuscript, and chatted with the author

Saran, associate editor of GQ magazine says that while she had been toying with the idea of writing a novel, she hadn't thought her first would be chick-lit. She was approached by Random House India whose brief was clear.

"They were looking at a Sex and The City-esque novel set in Mumbai, with sex advice between chapters," she explains, sippingu00a0 watermelon juice at a popular Colaba deli that also winds its way into her novel.

Girl Plus One talks of Laila who works at a men's magazine, and her two soul buddies. Together, the women grapple with careers and relationships, while ex-boyfriends, desirable yet unavailable men, parents, flirtatious colleagues and male flatmates hustle for space.

illustration/jishu dev malakar

No suburban sightings
Saran sets her novel almost entirely in south Mumbai. It's fair though, as writers are best off speaking of places they understand. But it phases out readers who don't dine at Tote on The Turf or the Taj.

"The only parts I have experienced since I moved back in 2008 are in south Mumbai because that's where I live, work and where a majority of my friends are. But the book isn't really about the city -- that's just the backdrop. It's about relationships, which could happen anywhere in the world."

Being single is something she understands, though, with Laila living it up with her friends through endless parties, brunches, bitching sessions and dates. However, societal and parental pressures faced by your average desi single don't get much print space here.

The 29 year-old author admits that it's easier being unattached in the US. "Manhattan is known as the 'singles' city'. It's best for singletons who are exploring, dating and not always with a specific goal in mind," she reveals. In Mumbai, says Saran, there's less freedom to mess around, largely because of traditional mores that matter even if you're of a liberal bent of mind. "All the same, I know plenty of people who do date just to date in Mumbai."

The man moves in
A bone we have to pick with her is about the male flatmate; no easy task in Mumbai. Especially not if you've been sent packing simply because you host parties at your apartment with men on the guest list. "I know
people who have male flatmates," defends Saran, adding that she did include a nosy neighbour in the novel, who spoke up for all those who had a problem with the idea.

Writing the novel was no easy task since it meant coming back home to something that she'd spent the whole day doing: writing and editing. "It was very intense and exhausting," she remembers. Saran would avoid late night sessions with friends, choosing to meet over dinner instead. "I gave up drinking over the weekends, so I could be fresh on Sundays to write."

In a nutshell
While the dialogue, characters and situations make sure you don't put the book down, there is an air of self-assuredness about the protagonist of Girl Plus One, which sets her apart from other chick-lit heroines. For one, it doesn't seem like she suffers any complexes, and has mostly everything going great for her. Relatable? Not so much. Aspirational? Yes.