Almost Single Almost Single Almost Single

by Advaita Kala

In a city where old is meeting new, daughters are surprising mothers, and love is breaking all the rules, this heartfelt and wickedly funny cross-cultural debut novel introduces a smart, irreverent young womansearching for independence and matrimony in a culture bound by tradition. Between elegant soirees and the occasional mortifying mishap, Aisha Bhatia's job as guest relations manager at NewDelhi's five-star Grand Orchid Hotel is intermittently fabulous-she certainly knows her wines and cheeses. But despite a life filled with good friends and first-class travel accommodations, the fact isthat not many twenty-nine-year-old women in India are single-as Aisha's mother never fails to remind her. Somewhere a clock is ticking, though as far as Aisha is concerned, it can be cheerfully drownedout by laughter over a champagne brunch. Yet when the handsomely chiseled Karan Verma arrives from New York, Aisha experiences an unexpected attitude adjustment. Karan is everything she's everwanted...that is, if she actually "knew" what she wanted. Is it possible that she's about to find out? Savvy, sexy, and unforgettable, AlmostSingle" "tackles the loving, exasperating tug-of-war between mothers and daughters, traditional customs and contemporary romance-and what happens when a modern Indian woman is caught inthe middle. "From the Trade Paperback edition."

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Romance, India, Indian Literature, Humor, Contemporary

Kindle Edition

First published January 30, 2007

About the author

Q & A with Advaita

Tell us a bit about yourself, your family and your educational background.

I am a hotelier by profession and have worked and studied in India and abroad. I have a kid sister who is a lawyer from the London School of Economics; I live at home with my parents and a St Bernard.

In the last five years, I have called six cities home — so it’s been a pretty nomadic existence. I have, however, been in Delhi for nearly two years now, which is a record of sorts for the recent past. I have a real relationship of convenience with this city — I dock here every once in a while and it’s getting to be one of my favourite places.

I travel extensively. Every month, possibly for half the month, I am out of town. I have a real passion for the Indian Railways — I think it’s the best way to see and appreciate our diverse country.

I don’t want to talk about education right now, I am desperately behind on MBA assignments. I work a six-day job, have a novel to promote and my MBA studies — let’s just say my cup runneth over!

What inspired you to write Almost Single and when did you decide to really sit yourself down and start on it?

I have always written but it has been a very private endeavour, mostly an attempt to make sense of the world around me. The idea for Almost Single germinated as a result of some of the experiences that surrounded me. The rapid way in which the concepts of love and courtship are evolving and continue to do so. Also the fact that the ‘hunt’ was not necessarily the fiefdom of the male of the species.

As for sitting myself down and writing, well, I can be quite obsessive and do one thing and nothing else, and then there are days when I would go nowhere near the book. I need to disconnect and feel that urge within me to start writing again, some sort of trigger.

How much of your work has been inspired by your own life and experiences?

Bits here and there but it’s mostly fiction, even the inspired bits have been used in a mostly contextual manner.

What has been the reaction of your friends and family to your book?

I have great friends and family, and their support has been tremendous. I kid around sometimes saying that I have the strongest sales force because I have friends all over the country and they are totally tracking the book.

As for my work — their feedback has me on edge because I share extremely candid relationships with my friends so I know if it’s not working I am going to hear about it. But they are just happy that I went out there and did what I wanted to do and the book came into being, since getting published can be tough.

What kind of books do you like to read?

I am an avid reader and have a particular liking for the suspense genre, right from my Nancy Drew days to Agatha Christies, and the present conspiracy theorist books. I also read lots of biographies, I am a bit of a history enthusiast. I love books on the Mughal Era, historical or fictionalised accounts on the Taj Mahal are always welcome.

I like Maugham and Tennessee Williams, then there is Truman Capote, who I think is fabulous — the list is endless. I get into phases and then read books specific to that style or genre. For example, I am really into books in the genre of suspense right now that have biblical references/ characters — Mary Magdalene fascinates me.

Did any other work inspire you to write your book?

It’s hard to say who in particular influenced me since my reading habits are so diverse, but there are books and characters that I love — like Breakfast at Tiffany’s or characters in movies like the one Julia Roberts [Images] plays in My Best Friend’s Wedding — I love honest characterisations that lay themselves bare and allow themselves to be picked apart and are liked despite some glaring failings or frivolities, characters who are themselves and tell the world to bring it on, Aisha is like that as well.

How did you go about wr

Reviews

[Sang · Rating 2 out of 5]

droll in parts, humdrum and staggeringly unoriginal on the whole. miles more entertaining than rupa gulab, but far from satisfying, "almost single" is proof absolute that indian chick lit is still in its egg lit stage.

[Borntobepurple · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really dont know what was i thinking. when i picked this book. atory about 30 year old obese Indian woman ..blah blah . I started to read and kept on saying such a bad rip off of Bridget jones. The book has no perspective to offer about urban working women. The whole booked is loaded with cliche's.Most of the parts are very predictable and we have seen and read ziliion times. There is no freshness to the book. The dialogues were weak,the characterisation look too uplifted from the popular women drama shows (there are a gay couple Ric and Nic) really . Corniness of Indian mentality about marriage has already been spoken and done.The love story isnt captivating. By end of it just glaned through pages to read to end. The book provided me no fun , many be laugh in some parts. But it was just like watching an episode of mediocre comdedy show but nothing else.

[Samir Dhond · Rating 3 out of 5]

I took this book up for reading rather hesitantly. However, when I started, i found this book humorous, witty you can say and of course, wirtten very matter of factly. I mean, it is a light read. Enjoyed the first half of the book very much. I saw my enthusiasm dwindling down a bit after the first half of the book. Then it, kind of, became predictable and boring. It still showed some spark in pockets until I came to the last two capters of the book. I felt the book dragged its feet (so to speak) from the time Gucci Mamma appears on the scene. I just did not like the way the book ended. I personally feel that the author must have got bored writing it so probably, wrapped up the book rather fast and by taking the most logical path to ending the book.

I would still recommend that you read this book because the book is a representation of the thinking patterns of today's youth, their ideologoies. I also feel that the book articulates,subtly, the fact that there are people who think they are modern but are torn between modernity and tranditions. Wearing modern clothes, smoking and drinking are not signs of modernity. There is a message for all the younger generation out there. Look at this book a little differently. Know your limits and know what you want in life.

Think about things that would truly make you happy, and content with your self first and then with the kidn of life you have.

[Myra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review first published on Oh Just Books.

I adore Indian novelists, I really do, and the blurb of this one made me feel it would be a fun, engaging chick lit. I was so right. I read this book through in one sitting - it was the right size and thoroughly engaging. Almost Single - a common state of flux for many Indian twenty-somethings.

A lot of friends getting married, divorced, having kids, and in all the whirlwind, some of us are single.

Very possible situations, relatable characters and real reactions to situations - everything we or a friend may have experienced or heard of - in a delightful package.

Aisha is a great protagonist and shines through. I loved Misha - well written, with real issues and endearing foibles. I would've liked to see more of Anushka too - but her story did progress, which was satisfactory. Ric and Nic, a conveniently​ rhyming gay couple round off this wonder group of crazy friends - walking the tightrope between traditional Indian values and open minded big city life.

Read the rest of the review here.

[Annie Grace · Rating 1 out of 5]

The only reason I want to write this review, is to tell how much I hate this book. The only reason why I finished reading this book was because I had started reading it. Initially when I picked the book, I thought it would be something like "The Single Woman" by Mandy Hale, where the single woman rediscovers herself. But this instead was about a single urban woman who seems to be desperately in search of a man who can validate her existence in the society, which is clearly understandable though she screams hard throughout the novel how independent and confident she is. The urban woman picturisation is ofcourse a cliche. The other character "misha" is in search of an "NRI" husband who can get her some value in the society and does everything she can to get one. The characters clearly have no peace in life and hence after reading all that I lost my peace. There is absolutely nothing that a person can learn from this book. Humor was lame and the story quite predictable.

[Elysal · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a worthless piece of crap this book was. Any comparison to Bridget Jones is a terrible insult to that book's author. Almost Single is singularly awful: irritating characters, disjointed plot, undeveloped supporting characters, nearly nonexistent setting description, which is particularly criminal given that this story is set in New Delhi, India. This book represents eight of my hard-earned dollars flushed down the toilet.

[Ranjita Sk · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had a tough time trying to keep my eyes open on this one..I felt it has nothing new to offer..boring story line coupled with antics suited to teenagers rather than nearly thirty year olds have left a sour taste in my mouth.
The chemistry between the main couple was non existent ..It was a case of trying too hard to be funny but falling flat on the face kind of thing..I wish I had never picked this one up.

[Utkarsh Bansal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Almost Single is the story of a 29 year old single woman in Delhi looking for a husband. It's a satire about the pressures on women to make themselves presentable and get married as early as possible, to as rich a man as possible. More accurately, it's a novel that has one joke about how absurd all of this is and expects it to be funny for 282 pages.

There's some wit in here. That's really what kept me reading, the quick witticisms. There are so many quips per page that even though only around a third of them were even slightly funny, that was enough to pull me along. Also, there's the fact that the book is fast paced. Like, really fast. Way too fast. 2 supporting characters have their entire character arcs resolved in hardly 1 or 2 paragraphs. When something bad happens to a character, they express their feelings about it, decide what to do next, and then get over it in less time than it takes other novels to describe the room a character walks into. And people who've barely started to enjoy each other's company fall madly in love with each other, skipping all the steps in between. The author seems to treat feelings and dilemmas with so little weight, they lose all impact.

Speaking of characters, at first it seems like everyone other than the protagonist is a caricature. As it goes by, though, we come to see that the protagonist is one as well. You have the girl who can't think about anything except men and strategies to find a husband. You have the Mrs Bennet kind of mother who treats her daughter's marital status as her single biggest failure, pun intended. And worst of all, you have the gay best friends who are everything you expect them to be if you've seen enough mainstream Bollywood. Apparently, gay men drool over every hot guy they come across. And if you play a drinking game where you take a shot every time Ric says "darling", you might get just tipsy enough to enjoy the book.

Reading this book reminded me quite a bit of Pride and Prejudice (not coincidentally, other GR reviewers found it reminiscent of Bridget Jones's Diary). Except here, once the prejudice part is done, the book often forgets to overturn that prejudice. Expectations aren't subverted. If Aisha(the protagonist) introduces someone to us as shallow and/or annoying, they turn out to be shallow and/or annoying. We're not here to grow and discover the secret depths in people with Aisha, we're here to make fun of the world with her. Except, here's the thing: she's no Elizabeth Bennet, and doesn't possess half the wit or insight.

Rereading the review, I realize it comes off harsher than I intended it. There really is quite a bit of fun to be had in here. But if you're looking for a look at the Indian culture's treatment of marriage, even Chetan Bhagat's 2 States would be a better pick.

[Shalini M · Rating 3 out of 5]

* Read/Reviewed in June 2008

The more I think about it, the more difficult it seems to write something about it. For one, I am not sure how to characterize this book. It might be chick-lit, but not exactly so; it has elements of M&Bs, but altogether its substantially different. Perhaps I would liken it most to what we call a 'masala' movie :-)

It is a story of three bosom pals, ladies who are approaching the dreaded age of 30. One of them is getting divorced, and the other two are desperately looking for a good matrimonial catch [before they hit the expiry date from the marriage market ;-)]. They go through a lot of mishaps - comic and not-so-comic, before the first one frees herself of the trauma of divorce, and the other two find their soul-mates in unlikely places/people.

I looked at some online reviews of the book. Most of them claimed it to be an accurate commentary on urban, single, working Indian ladies - using phrases such as - "you will know a lot about what women think", "it gives you an insight into the minds of women, especially those nearing thirties", "it tells you a lot about relationships" ... you get the drift. From my personal experience, I have to disagree with all these exalting statements. The "relationship facts" seem a collection of cliches to me, and none of the single, working, nearing-30 ladies I know are like the characters in this book - they are too busy struggling to manage the demands of jobs, single-living, and parental pressures, to go partying every night. But then, I do not know any hard-partying, page-3-type people.

What I mean is that I do not think it represents real people, or at least the people of my world. Perhaps my world is too constricted :-) Having said this, I will also say that this is a good fun read, with a lot of humor.It moves at interesting pace, and keeps one entertained - commendable for the first book of an author. If you are not in a mood for serious reading, you can enjoy this book for the comical predicaments of its characters and witty humor it is interspersed with.

[Sonia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Originally published in India, much of the book was lost in translation or more accurately, not translated at all. Some conversations were entirely in Hindi (I think) and not translated. (other conversations were).

I love reading about different cultures and part of the experience and appeal of reading a book taking place in India is learning about India. And for that reason this book sorely disappointed. There were several cultural references, which were not given supporting details to help a Non-native to India understand. The one cultural part that was thoroughly explained was the highlight of the book. Other than the language and cultural barrier, the story itself was unoriginal with a strange ending.

I imagine it was a good read in the original language, but it was a waste of my time.

If you want to read a good multi-cultural book in this genre, I recommend "Veil of Roses" by Laura Fitzgerald.

[payal deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Hillarious. Unputdownable

[readers creators · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is right mix of comedy and deep insights about our ancient traditions. The book talks about life of a 29 years old single working woman and her struggle with finding the right match. Despite being okay in remaining single, she is yet getting sucked into this quagmire of dilemma between marriage and singlehood. Author humorously talks about the complications in common traditions about marriage; how role of weight, personality, astrology, almost everything impacts a person’s eligibility of getting married. And mothers start preparing their daughters for marriage from a very young age, and if that preparation fails, it calls for a huge disaster.

Aisha, works as a General Manager at a five star hotel, and she hates her job. Her girl besties, one recently divorced and her thoughts took the lowest dive about men and commitments, one (Misha) as single as Aisha, they together led on to their hunt for a groom.

With whole twists and a lot of mess up, this book ends on a happy and predictable note. Its an easy & fast paced read which can be finished in two sitting, but the fun part is seriously great. I really enjoyed reading this book. For every woman out there, who wants to fall in love, feel loved and give love, but getting married scare them to core of their heart; this is the book for you.

[Divya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second time I am reading this book. It’s so funny !

[Abraar Mohammed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why did I read this chic flick? We’ll never know.

[Cali Melton · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was decent as a “palate-cleanser” between my more serious reads. Light-hearted and relatable in its shining moments. Some bits seemed to go in circles.

[Aanchal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Almost Single, a good morale booster initially for 'almost single' chicks, u get the drift? ;) As you turn pages the story weaves around 3 bff's and their 2 gay friends Ric and Nic. Of the three, Anushka being a divorcee happens to be the most sensible one helping out the other two with their perfect makeovers and being a shoulder to cry on during their lows ('Ugh! the guy was so not my type' phases). The second one, Misha, oh I can so totally relate to her, coz she too is vertically challenged like me and suffers from the 'high-heels-complete-the-look' syndrome. :P The book clearly depicts the dilemma of 29 year olds who are yet to get hitched. Forget getting hooked, yet to get their hands on their gold-diggers. They try all the tricks of the trade to hunt for their prey, starting from online shopping for spouse on desivivah.com to fix ups at the pubs. The occasional glimpses of typical 'Dilli ki ladki' wisdom coupled with well timed hints of humour successfully earn a few brownie points for the book. Now coming to the last bit, why i said a morale booster, 'initially', in the first place. Like all other bollywood flicks even this one has a happy ending. So all the 'almost singles' who were pumping with joy while reading the book and feeling all good about themselves get hit by the reality, in their face when Aisha, the protagonist, the ugly, large framed, 29 year old, finally gets hitched with an Amrika return, sophisticated, drop dead gorgeous, millionaire. Don't tell me you didn't see this coming. Hah! All in all, a desi version of Sex and the city, except the city isn't New York but New Delhi, and the lustful, fun filled escapades of three dilli chicks makes 'Almost Single' a fun read.

[Ilonita50 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lets start with the book cover, when i chose this book, honestly, cover didnt bring any fondness, i didnt like it. But now, after finishing the whole novel, i can judge it much more better - i think its perfect, in an abstract it shows some characteristics from the book.

I found the story brilliant, i mean really funny, humour excellent! I was laughing at the end so much that i was surprised thats the end of the story. So its one of the books when you finish reading and you want more, more.


The plot is about a single girl, aged 29, shes fully enjoying her life, being busy, but at the same time worrying being single, getting annoyed by her mother's and other married female relatives constant bugging - her being single. So of, course this story involves men, there are also 2 best friends which make the story interesting, funny and the main character has more ways to develop.

[Komal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a complete hilarious with loads of fun factor. I found myself continuously giggling, every time I picked it up - in metro, bus, home, - or put it down - while working, talking, bathing, eating, and all! The book is complete fiction (as the author says in an interview) still closest to Delhi's uppar-middle class life style. The best parts are the emotional and societal events in a 29 year old single, surviving alone, pressured with a high profile, higher expectant job title, with a few traces of thoughts asking her to quit her job, yet carrying on with it.

The book makes you believe in real life, that there will never be a perfect day, time, situation, people, and the situations that happen with everyone, and teaches you to take life easy.

My penultimate recommendation for every girl, who is/was a single ever.

[Neha Gupta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost Single is a light read probably over coffee.. or if you are in a girls hostel or PG where all girls kind of catch up & discuss their experiences similar to the incidents in the novel.. though not so dramatic. The ups & down in the novel are probably obvious.. and expected so no surprises there.. The characters represent a very small percentage of the modern and independent girls in the metro cities of India... with not much social obligations or reality checks except pushy mothers, nosy aunts & jealous cousions.

The only thing which is a lil put off is that it seems to be a copy of Bridget Jones or Carrie Bradshaw.. though Aisha was not such a strong character but only if she was the novel would have looked original

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you liked Bridget Jones and also enjoy novels that take place in India, then this is novel for you! I have enjoyed several novels set in India such as Q and A (Slumdog Millionaire) The Secret Daughter, and the Hindi Bindi Club, so this was yet another novel set in a place I continue to want to read and know about. I cannot afford to travel, so reading is how I glove trot. When I read fiction I do not want to read about places I live or know about, so a novel set in another time and/or place is a requisite for me. However, this is a light hearted story, and definitely something to read about having read several more serious books. I think single women who are thirty and above can relate to this story.

[Amalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the early chapters, I didn't feel this to be a novel in an Indian setting, I felt the characters, basically everything, is too westernized. I felt no Indian vibes other than the names, places and the nosy relations. But about half a way, it gave exactly what I was expecting and more and I'm so glad I didn't put it away.

The protagonist, Aisha Bhatia is 29, single (that's a capital crime over here in South Asia) belongs to a new breed of women who are trying to draw balance between their 5-star independent world of cosmopolitan life style and their orthodox society. I loved the narration, very hilarious but very true. I'd absolutely check out more Chick-lit like this! 4 stars.

[Lavanya Nair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Phew! Finished reading it finally. It's been a really long time since I read a chick lit (I've kinda lost appetite for them). All the more difficult to choose one from umpteen ectypes. They all look like clones of their western counterparts. Why do we even have to create desi equivalents of Bridget Jones, Carrie Bradshaws or even Samantha Jones? Almost Single is a concoction of Bridget Jones and Sex and the City and may be something else that I haven't read. A ten on ten in the humour department but not quite satisfied with the content. The last chick lit that I truly loved was Legally Blonde by Amanda Brown. Chick with substance-that's how I like it.

[Rajul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read this book by @advaitakala a long long time ago. Came across while sorting sister's book shelf and felt like reading again (I did remember that I had liked it)

A Bridget Jones style romance, minus the love triangle, is about the everyday life of an almost 30, single Aisha Bhatia, who works as a guest relationship manager at a hotel. Enters the hotties of her dreams as an esteemed guest of the hotel and she gets tangled in his life, without having the clarity of her place in his.

It's cute, balanced and not at all over the top. Though times have now changed at a faster pace, the book never feels jaded. I equally enjoyed it this time around.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bridget Jones has her diary, Carrie Bradshaw has her newspaper column, but what does Aisha Bhatia have? That’s the question I kept asking myself has I read Almost Single. Previous reviews have compared this book to those two and it’s obvious Almost Single really wants to be like them. But it's not working for me. The characters needed far more development if I was supposed to care.

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of the best books I have read in ages... its funny, and when you know a bit of the indian culture it is so true. I enjoy every page. It made me laugh so hard, that even my husband got involved and read the book. He is indian and he also finds the book language wise very well written. Keep up the great work and we both look forward to a new book.

[Sarthak]

Terse, urban and bold....struggling to finish it with busy schedule!!

[Angela Kumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book...very funny but it makes more sense if you are indian. the author is great and have emailed her and she will be coming out with a new book next year.

[Pamela Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

hilarious and wicked!

[Anmol Nayyar · Rating 2 out of 5]

An average read

[Deepika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious book!!