A ruthless caricature of how high society in the national capital works, Namita Gokhle does a stupendous job in bringing the void ness of he so-called high societies through “Priya in Incredible Indyaa”

Namita Gokhale's pretty much holding up a mirror to Delhi's high-flying elite with her latest book, “Priya in Incredible Indyaa”. Definitely a satirical portrait, Gokhale paints Priya as the hyper-aware dutiful wife and mother - who sees everything, from lipstick stains on her husband's collar, to the way she's taken for granted - but plays dumb to keep the family dynamic going. Priya is delightfully modest and humble and more than aware of her lucky journey up the social ladder – suffering as she puts it, from "social vertigo". While ‘Incredible India’ may be in a hurry to shed everything old, Priya is not. As if to rub the point, she has named her twins Luv and Kush.. The book's funny, biting and quite an accurate depiction of the snark in delhi - who matters, who doesn't. They're caricatures in part, sure, but they work. It's also got this tinge of heartbreak. You can't help feel bad when you see Priya's "if only's" – in large part symbolized by her aging charmer BR, though somehow that whole episode doesn't ring the infidelity bell. Her memories and hang-ups are touchingly documented, even as Gokhale brings in some of the biggest issues to plague us as a society – from police excess to inequality, to the movement to free Dr Binayak Sen. Priya watches all this and navigates it… at a time the world around her is flush in LV, Gucci and Armani – she's not impervious to the charms of luxury, though. She's also much more than just a romanticised version of the perfect Indian woman – resenting her cheating-but-loving husband's portrayal of her as such. Her silence is not of a weak, whimpering woman, but of one who continues to cherish old-world values of familial loyalty. This is where the real strength of the novel lies. It looks at India as it is, but not with the cynicism of someone who is ready to rubbish everything desi. Really an entertaining stuff worth of your consideration that RightBooks.in has brought for you. Be there at www.rightbooks.in/product_details.asp?pid=9780670085767&Priya%20In%20Incredible%20Indyaa to experience it.