The Rules of Arrangement: A Novel by Anisha Bhatia - Starting February 12th 2021

[Jenn]

Balli Kaur Jaswal’s EROTIC STORIES FOR PUNJABI WIDOWS meets Kevin Kwan’s CRAZY RICH ASIANS in this hilarious comedy of manners set in Mumbai where modernity jostles with tradition.

Zoya Sahni has a great education, a fulfilling job and a loving family (for the most part). But she is not the perfect Indian girl. She’s overweight, spunky and dark-skinned in a world that prizes the slim, obedient and fair. At 26 she is hurtling toward her expiration date in Mumbai’s arranged marriage super-mart, but when her aunties’ matchmaking radars hones in on the Holy Grail of suitors—just as Zoya gets a dream job offer in New York City—the girl who once accepted her path as almost option-less must now make a choice of a lifetime.

Big-hearted with piercing social commentary, The Rules of Arrangement tells a powerful, irresistibly charming and oh-so relatable tale of a progressive life that won’t be hemmed in by outdated rules. But not without a few cultural casualties, and of course, an accidental love story along the way.

[Brinley]

31%
(view spoiler)[ I am really not liking this so far. Our main character is driving me crazy. Part of it might be the culture difference, but this is frustrating me so much.

First off, our main character's feelings towards her body are driving me insane. Im all for characters without the "ideal" body type, it makes me feel represented. But, when i say that, i dont want characters who act like Zoya. I want characters like Nina from Six of Crows. Characters who embrace their size, enjoy their dessert, and dont care what everyone else thinks. Zoya isnt like that. Im still disgusted by the comment she made about wrapping an invisible tape measure around other women to check whether they were fatter. Can she get some self confidence and not shame other women for their size? And, if she hates being fat so much, maybe she should do something about it. (That sounds so insensitive) It just feels weird when she'll say something about hating her size, and in the same sentence, say something about eating massive amounts of food.

And that whole pregnancy test scene had me dying. (And not in a good way) Is it really that big of a deal to buy a pregnancy test in India? And is she not on birth control? Im just asking because both of those things are very common here. Sure, i get that buying a pregnancy test is embarrasing, but is it really a reason to act like you've married your boss??

Also, please correct me if any of this is insensitive, im not intending it to be.

Finally, we all know that shes going to end up with the boss, so can we stop dancing around it? Its not cute or funny... (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha (semi-hiatus)]

8%
(view spoiler)[Brinley are you sure you're understanding all the transliterated hindi? Like they just used faltu and I don't know if you know what that means (it means useless by the way) then there was chaddi selling and chaddi is underwear (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha (semi-hiatus)]

9%
(view spoiler)[Starting the pheras around the fire is doing the seven rounds around the fire, each round stands for a virtue, if I'm not wrong. ( sorry if I'm being condescending, but I have no idea whether you're getting the same experience as I am so I'm becoming the dictionary) (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha (semi-hiatus)]

11%
(view spoiler)[There was a line, hard work shard work all comes to naught, and I think it means hard work shard work kuch nahi hota? Shard here will not be in English, but the product of hindi speaking, where words are rhymed (it's a way of speaking that everyone does) (hide spoiler)]

[Brinley]

No, I have no idea what half of what I'm reading actually is. Please keep being a dictionary!

[Brinley]

Looking through your updates just made me realize how much of this I'm missing because I have no grasp of the culture at all. this is fun...

[Trisha (semi-hiatus)]

Brinley wrote: "31%
..."

(view spoiler)[I'm pretty sure the main reason for you not enjoying this might be the culture difference. People are definitely more open here than they were ,say, 30 years back? But they're definitely not as open as I read about them in usual rom-coms (the ones set in America/UK/First World Countries).

Pregnancy without marriage is definitely looked down upon, but I can't say how much because I've never been in that situation or known someone in that situation personally.

I definitely get about wanting characters like Nina, rather than Zoya, it's nicer to look up to the kind of person you want to be, rather than a somewhat dramatised version of what you might be if you had even less self confidence. While I do think Zoya is a more correct rep for me, if nothing but for the way she worries about her weight, Nina-like characters are much better for rolemodels, and much better rep when it comes to what you want to be. Does that make sense?

About the pregnancy tests, I have no idea since I've never bought one, but considering that I get embarrassed when going to buy sanitary napkins, and if I'm in school the person who got her period will never ave the courage to ask a teacher for help, instead asking other people who are equally as embarrassed, I think it might be similar. While I don't think the chemist would be as invested in her marriage as he was in this, I can imagine there might be some 'glancing', but nothing that warrants faking a relationship. Again, I'm not sure how old fashioned people actually are in that way, having never been in the same situation myself.

Hmm, yes I'm pretty sure it's going to be with the boss as well, and my only complaint on that front is that I don't have much of a basis as to what their work relationship is like, so the entire time she was roaming around with the guy, and then went into his house had me a little creeped out and worried about her safety (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha (semi-hiatus)]

Brinley wrote: "No, I have no idea what half of what I'm reading actually is. Please keep being a dictionary!"

Okay! :)

[Trisha (semi-hiatus)]

Brinley wrote: "Looking through your updates just made me realize how much of this I'm missing because I have no grasp of the culture at all. this is fun..."

I hope it isn't too bad, do ask me if you're too confused!

[Brinley]

In response to your last comment

(view spoiler)[ That's a shame then. I really wanted to enjoy this, I guess we'll see if I start understanding a bit better.

That makes total sense, Zoya is definitely more relatable than Nina. I just can't stand that Zoya feels the need to drag other women down to bring herself up.

I get embarrassed about everything too... I wouldn't have had a problem if she just said she had a husband, but why did the boss have to get dragged into it??? (I get that its to move the romance along, but still) Its just going to make things more awkward between them.

And I totally agree! Especially because his only descriptions have been him being strict and consumed by work. Not exactly the most trustworthy guy yet

(hide spoiler)]

And thanks, I'll let you know the next time I'm confused!

[Brinley]

31%

(view spoiler)[ Ugh, this sentence hurts my soul.
"How can this happen to generally
non-slutty girls. How can this happen to girls from good, decent families-- girls who've been raised well?"

I'm not even sure why I can't read it without wanting to close the book, but it really bothers me. (hide spoiler)]

[Brinley]

72%

(view spoiler)[ How much longer are we going to be stuck with this gift mystery? I'm almost certain it's Arnav, so can we just get that reveal yet? I'm tired of this drama. and how blind can Zoya be??? has she even talked to almost-pregnant guy since the incident? (I forgot his name) (hide spoiler)]

[Brinley]

87%
(view spoiler)[ He scheduled the meeting to be I'm Alibaug because she was going to be there, didn't he? I don't love her, but I do like him, and their relationship makes her a bit more stand-able (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha (semi-hiatus)]

43%
(view spoiler)[So, zari work is basically glitter like work on a lot of garments, it's a popular trend in formal indian wear (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha (semi-hiatus)]

47%
(view spoiler)[So there was a bargain! I knew it! Of course I didn't expect it to be this so it was surprising...I hadn't expected a promotion in exchange for a daughter married off, but whatever.. (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha (semi-hiatus)]

57%
(view spoiler)[Starts with a d and ends with two ees….that sound alike the Dorabjee art museum or whatever she was talking about earlier?? Is that not obvious??? (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha (semi-hiatus)]

Brinley wrote: "31%


I'm not even..."

(view spoiler)[I get what you mean,it does bother me too, I mean, is classifying any girl as slutty not wrong? (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha (semi-hiatus)]

Brinley wrote: "72%

[spoilers removed]"
(view spoiler)[
Right!?!? It is so obvious that it must be Arnav, because it's definitely not the other men in this book. And yes, since the almost pregnant thing had absolutely no bearing on the plot whatsoever, it seems that it was just there for 'plot'. (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha (semi-hiatus)]

Brinley wrote: "87%
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Kinda same? While I don't completely hate Zoya, I don't completely love Arnav either somehow, and I was a bit disappointed with the romance because I don't know, I just felt that it wasn't done right. I don't know how to express it, but in some places I was just like are you emotionally cheating on your fiance? Does that count as cheating? And I didn't like how forward Arnav was being, regardless of whether she was happy with Lalit or not. I get that he knew she wasn't happy, but courting someone who is already spoken for didn't completely sit right with me. (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha (semi-hiatus)]

85%
(view spoiler)[You know what I think should happen? I think Tanya should marry Lalit instead of Zoya, because it's obvious that there's something between those two, I'm guessing affair, but maybe not. And then, Zoya would be free to do whatever she wants. (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha (semi-hiatus)]

100%
(view spoiler)[I liked it, but not as mush as I was hoping...int he end I felt it was a bit disjointed, with some plotlines left unfinished, and the twists were all pretty easy to guess. The only saving grace for this was the setting, for me, and I think this wasn't as good of a book that I felt it was, but I felt it was because of the authentic setting that really made me feel homesick even though I'm at home. (hide spoiler)]