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Married But Available – Write Your Review Here

Book Review@abhijitbhaduri.com

I have been receiving a steady stream of mails after some of you have finished reading my novel. While the media reviews will happen, I want to know what you felt about Married But Available. What did you like or not about it. Who were the characters you vibed with. Characters you would have loved to meet in real life or maybe there was an uncanny similarity between a character in the novel and someone you know. Have you met people like Capt Sobti, Rascal Rusty, Abbey…? Are you like any of the characters in the novel?

Tell us a little about yourself and paste the review in the comments section below.I am starting this piece with a review by Sanjeev Roy of Bullzi who claims his role is to “keep the leadership pipeline well oiled”. He starts off with a headline that screams for attention and then shares three things he liked about the novel.

HR Practitioner – Married But Available

No, this is not an ‘innovative’ job posting.No, there are no mistakes and it says exactly what it was meant to.Married but Available (MBA) is the second book in the series by Abhijit Bhaduri of the life and times of Abbey (http://www.harpercollins.co.in/BookDetail.asp?Book_Code=2108). In the first book titled Mediocre But Arrogant (yes, MBA and yes, it is a great insight), Abbey gets his MBA in HR from an institute in Jamshedpur. And starts his career at the bottom of the HR pile in a manufacturing company.This second book is about the first ten years of his work life. Outstanding read if you want to pick up some wonderful insights on HR from one of the leading HR thinkers in the country. The story is one that a lot of people will identify with – the insecurities, competitiveness with batch mates, failed/failing marriages, demanding bosses, neglected families etc. It is a story about the ‘corporate types’ from corporate India and wrapped within these threads are the author, Abhijit Bhaduri’s take on HR – the protagonist Abbey is an HR practitioner.  As he works through positions in the factory, to the Chairman’s strategy unit and an M&A, Abhijit touches upon some key HR issues that are worthy of debate.1.    Learn the ropes from Ground Zero–    Abbey, the MBA is posted in a small industrial township, learning people management at the shop floor. He resents it, wants to be in the corporate office and get himself a fancy designation. Sounds familiar? The lessons learnt on the shop floor are absolutely invaluable, that too under the guidance of someone with experience but no degree. Underlines the fact that there is no alternative for ‘Being there and doing that’.So it is absolutely necessary to be in the trenches to be a general or is that just an old fashioned notion in today’s world of email, best practices and technology?2.    Incentives can be two edged swords–    Abbey experiments by incentivising one worker for doing a dangerous job. Workers appreciate his gesture but a deluge of others all performing the same dangerous task follows it. This causes its own problem, as Abbey has to progressively reduce the incentive for the job. What started as a positive exercise rapidly degenerates into a dispute.If an incentive is being ‘misused’ in spirit but not technically what should be done?3.    Fairness has to be demonstrated even when you retrench someone–    Abbey is made responsible for a massive downsizing and restructuring exercise. Despite the bitterness, mistrust and unhappiness this move causes in the factory, Abbey never gives up on communicating clearly and consistently and genuinely trying to help the retrenched workers to rehabilitate.

…and finally if you come across a review somewhere on the net, do paste the link in your comments. Thanks in advance for your help and time.

Comments

36 responses to “Married But Available – Write Your Review Here”

  1. Saurabh Avatar
    Saurabh

    This was one of the very few books whose release I have ever waited for. Had loved the 1st book by the same author called “mediocre but arrogant”. (In case you haven’t read it, you must. Definitely the best account of life in a b-school,even better than ‘Snapshots from Hell’ the grand-daddy of b-school books)Coming back to the book,the basics:Author: Abhijit BhaduriPublisher: Harper CollinsPrice: Rs 195Pages: 270Basic Plot: Synopsis of Married But AvailableMy Take:I am a tad disappointed. I had high expectations after his first book but this book just doesn’t live up those. (if the writer somehow does come across this I can imagine hi having a wry smile- this ‘comparison’ is what he does mention in his preface). I am not talking about style & genre here, just on a simple scale-how much did I like both the books.The hero of the first book was B-school life itself, then the primary character ie Abbey. Here it seems to have reversed. That in itself is not a problem however Abbey comes across as a very weak, insecure, unusually horny, confused guy-somebody I can’t identify with or even pity. That is somehow it’s worst failing, for most books of this genre-based on a part of one’s life-school, college, work etc identification with the broad mass becomes important & here that seems to be comparatively weak. (I did check up with a few friends who are on various stages of reading the book & they agreed abut the comparative lack of identification-though not completely on the high testosterone driven part 🙂 ).The two female characters from the 1st book -ayesha & keya are more clearly sketched out here. However wherein they fit in quite well in the 1st book & make abbey’s persona more interesting, here they both seem too extreme (one a trophy wife & the other quite an ‘un-worldywise’ girl). & the romantic part becomes tiresome at times.Finally the humour which was the hallmark of the first book is a bit lesser here, though blaming the author would be quite unfair as I guess the ‘fun’ quotient tends to decrease from college to work-life.All that said ‘married but available’ is still quite decent. Despite the fact that I couldn’t quite empathize with abbey’s reactions ,lot of the scenario’s in themselves are quite realistic & what a lot of us can connect with. The character of rascal rusty is brilliant, humorous & hit’s the nail on the head . Whether he gives ‘gyan’ on consultants (pg 168 ) or starting a religious sect as a fall back option (pg 186).The writer adds a sweet touch while bringing out cultural subtleties like the typical bong family or the Punj’s love for their drinks.Finally perhaps the best part about the book is the author’s inputs on management / life .He himself has immense experience & success in professional life ( currently director HR-Microsoft India) & offers great advice here while raising pretty interesting questions. Sample this:“Isn’t it weird, during one’s work life, everything other than work impacts your life. So it is just not your professional calibre but your ability to make small talk,choose the right wine,make the right golfing buddies and all that jazz which determines how high you get in the business ladder.”or this bit“For the first time,i realized to what extent my work-& life-were about being a communicator”All in all the book is quite readable & perhaps the reason for the harsh criticism is the standard’s he had set after his first book. They are very few Indian authors who seem to have the capability of writing a simple, readable, realistic book . Most tend to alternate between writing in such complicated prose that makes the reader rush for the dictionary every 2nd sentence ( a la salman rushdie) or such which border on insulting a reader’s intelligence (haven’t you read chetan bhagat’s 2nd book??).Abhijit Bhaduri (along with Khuswant Singh, Suketu Mehta, Rushdie in ‘midnight’s children’ & a very,very few others is among those) . So while his first book was definitely among the all time best in it’s genre this should still find it’s place among current best seller lists.

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  2. Gautam Avatar
    Gautam

    My review is posted herehttp://gautamghosh.net/2008/10/05/married-but-available/“Married But Available” is the second novel by HR professional Abhijit Bhaduri. In the first- “Mediocre But Arrogant” the protagonist Abbey spends two years drifting along in his B School, from relationship to relationship.In this one, Abbey gets into his first job, as a Personnel Manager at Balwanpur Industries, at the plant and the township owned and managed by the promoter Balwan Singh. The other people he meets are his first boss, Capt. Sobti, who has his own homegrown knowledge of people and HR. Then there’s the assorted other characters in his life, his father who thinks that he should be loyal to his employer, his mother who always thinks he’s a small kid. Then there’s Ass, his sister- Asmita. Then there are his women Ayesha and Keya and Priya. One is the one he lusts after, one is his love and then there’s one who has a crush on him.As Abbey balances his work – getting to understand how the worker’s union works- with his love and then married life, life begins to take its own sweet pace. As he goes about acquiring the trappings of success – a bigger house, a car his marriage seems to be headed downhill. Finally his wife walks out on him, accusing him of being selfish. Devastated, Abbey looks for a chance to move out of the small township – and moves to Balwan’s corporate office at Delhi. He constantly compares his designation and personal life to his friends- trying to define success in the materialistic expressions of life.Years pass, an old love comes back into his life – and everything seems to be fine – but life seems to be keen to throw his balance off-kilter. Abbey finds out unsavory truths about his mentor – and about his Chairman’s plan for the plant too.Soon Abbey goes back to the township – to do the toughest job in his career so far – and to make the toughest self-journey he would make. In the end he understands that the sense of self he derives from a mere visiting card – and designations is hollow. As Father Hathaway – the Jesuit priest tells him:“If you want success, think of yourself. If you want happiness, think of others. Stop asking about the meaning of life and instead, think of yourself as the one being questioned by life.”So the book ends with a question: Will Abbey finally be able to break free of the selfish self involved pattern of behavior? Maybe we’ll find the answer in the next book.Overall the book is an easy read, however, sometimes the management jargon can get to be a little off putting to the lay reader. Like the gyaan that Rascal Rusty gives Abbey on the phone can get a little tiresome. The book is set in the mid 80s to the mid 90s – so there are few contemporary references for today’s readers – but quite a few nostalgic references for the generation that was brought up then

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  3. anirban bose (author of Bombay Rains Bombay Girls) Avatar
    anirban bose (author of Bombay Rains Bombay Girls)

    Abhijit,I finished reading your book and read it cover to cover. That in itself should tell you how much I enjoyed it.Let me get to the specifics.You obviously are a gifted story teller. The writing is crisp, beautiful and very enjoyable. Events flow and the language is never a distraction. Superb, just superb.The storyline is very nice and touching. For someone with no connections to management, I was able to identify with Abbey and his trysts and that is a great achievement. I laughed at the appropriate places, my heart was saddened with Abbey’s misfortunes and I could identify strongly with his dilemma. I was almost reminded of that fantastic Amitabh Bachchan film “Namak-Haram” and the conflict of this management-worker issue. Excellent!If I can offer two small criticisms (and they are not really criticisms): the first is that because I hadn’t read your first book, I hadn’t been introduced to a number of characters and so it took me a while to paint a picture of them in my mind. That was why it took me a little time to sort of “get into the book” sort of “jamgaya” you know. But this isn’t exactly your “fault” as much it is the nature of the beast when it is a “sequel” (oops: second in the series!)The second thing is that your title Married But Available, sort of make the book appear a little flippant at first glance (without reading it, and this may just be my bias!). After reading it, the title becomes abundantly clear and acquires a new gravitas. I hope people are able to bypass this prejudice, if you will, and give this fantastic book the credit it deserves.I’m very, very impressed. It was a simply superb read. Keep up the good work and while I wait for the “third in the series” I will now go and buy the first book.Also it was great to meet you at the launch.Anirban

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  4. Dheeraj Avatar
    Dheeraj

    Hey Abbey..Bought the book jst ystrday and cudnt keep it down . finishd it in flat 4 hours.. I must compliment on the lucid style of writing.However, You often feel lost reading the book as there is no central theme that stems out.. When it starts getting intense in a particular context and you feel glued, there is an abrupt end to the situation and it wanders off to some other place..Neverthless,must say Sobti’s and Rusty’s tips on corporate wisdom are worth a steal and its easy to draw parallel on most anecdotes but overall I was xpecting much more from Abbey !!

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  5. Prasad Kurian Avatar
    Prasad Kurian

    My review is posted herehttp://prasadokurian.blogspot.com/2008/10/decade-of-active-experimentation-in-hr.htmlSince I am completely ‘innocent’ of any deep understanding of fiction (or of reviewing books for that matter), I will confine my self to commenting on (what I think are) a few themes in the book that relates to HR and to the career of an HR professional.The first one is the tendency of MBAs to compare (or ‘benchmark’) their achievements against that of their batch mates. Now, this tendency is likely to exist, to some extent, in any group. But the ‘pressure cooker’ nature of many MBA programs coupled with the high degree of ‘results orientation’ in many MBA students can make this ‘tendency to compare’ more pronounced among a batch of MBAs. The situation becomes more interesting in the case of HR MBAs, as ‘position and salary benchmarking’ is part of the job responsibilities of many HR professionals. Yes, this tendency can lead to lot of unnecessary suffering, especially in those situations where a person’s identity (and self worth) is defined mostly in terms of his/her job – because in those situations, the comparisons go beyond ‘comparison of achievements’ (and get into the territory of comparison of ‘worth of individuals’). One good thing is that after a few years out of the B-school, it becomes very difficult to make exact comparisons – as people would have taken different career paths – and as there are often significant differences across organizations in terms of roles, levels and designations. Also, over a period of time ‘internal benchmarking’ (comparing oneself with people within the organization that one is working) becomes increasingly more important (as compared to comparing oneself with batch mates in other organizations). Again, people might have/use different definitions of success (different parameters to measure success or at least attach different relative weights to the parameters) – making the comparisons even more difficult. So even in those cases where one is not able to avoid comparing oneself with one’s batch mates, by being ‘creative’ with the definition/parameters of success, one can achieve a favorable result for oneself – in the comparison game. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true. One can also find ways to conclude that everyone else in the batch is more successful than himself/herself!I also liked the mention in the book about being at the receiving end of an HR process (recruitment -in this case). I have found that ‘being at the receiving end of HR’ (experiencing an HR process as an employee, especially if it is a ‘not so pleasant’ experience) can be a great eye-opener for an HR professional. This helps one to be more sensitive to the ‘human’ in ‘Human Resources’. While most of us have been employees also (in addition to having been HR professionals) for most part of our careers, we often have this strange tendency to discount our experiences as employees (as internal customers of HR strategies/ processes/ policies) as compared to our experiences as HR professionals (who design/run HR strategies/ processes/ policies).The last point I want to talk about here is insight that the book provides about the ‘increased cost’ (human and social cost) of retrenchment in the Indian context. Since there is little or no social security provided by the state, the role of the employer/expectations from the employer in this domain get heightened. I would even say that since the joint family system (that used to provide some sort of insurance/social security) is breaking down, this aspect can become even more significant. Then there is this issue of ‘family involvement’. Since many of us still have the tendency to ‘get our families involved’ in most of the important decisions that we take (like marriage and job!), separation from the job has an impact on the family that goes beyond the economic impact (as it can have impact on dimensions like family pride and even identity!). This also has implications for the ‘innovative’ employee engagement & employee retention strategies/ initiatives that many organizations are trying out these days – initiatives/strategies that try to ‘lock in’ the employees by actively involving their families (like parents day, get the families to the office etc.). Yes, these can help in reducing employee attrition/voluntary turnover. However, this would also make retrenchment/involuntary separation more difficult for the organization and more painful for employees (and their families).

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  6. Prasanth Warrier Avatar
    Prasanth Warrier

    AbhijitYour book “Married But Available” is a great read. Frankly, I was not aware of you until I purchased this book last week. Once I started reading, I just could not keep it down and read it cover to cover in 5-6 hours flat. The next day I went and purchased your “Mediocre But Arrogant” and read it cover to cover…. again in a single day.Well if you ask me what I liked most about this book is – simple language, superb writing, natural flow of events, minimal distraction, captured critical moments of career and personal life as it is, and giving due acknowledgements to the learning from each persons / circumstances in life. Characters like Rascal Rusty (and his advices), Keya, Ayesha, Priya, Abbeys’ family, Captain are people who you come across quite often when you really observe the world around you.As a professional completing a decade of work-experience, I could also relate myself to a lot of situations at work brought about in your book.My compliments to you on both the books and I also liked the fact that you clearly differentiated both your books with your approach. My best wishes for your future ‘MBA Series’.Cheers,Prasanth Warrier

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  7. Amol Pawar Avatar
    Amol Pawar

    Hi Abhijeeti was unbiased on this one as I havent read the first book though now I intend to pick that up aswell…. essentially the title caught my eye….married but available…and beacuse of the phase in life that I am personally going through appealed to me….then when i read the back cover i just went ahead and bought it..the fact that 200 bucks (195 to be precise) was not too much to shell out helpedi got hooked to the book and the style in which it was written…i did feel it like a very honest account of events…i could completely identify or relate to most of the characters or the thought process. the fact that i am in HR field also helped me see the practicality of the advice Capt gives to Abbey from time to time. this is the best practical HR coaching I have ever received so far through a book.I would love to meet Capt and Rusty in real life!!!! A chance meeting with Ayesha would also be lovely ;-)I now await the MBA series..and am frankly surprised that you both need or manage your job at Microsoft!!!Amol

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  8. Ashima Kakar Avatar
    Ashima Kakar

    Dear Abhijit,Guess what I finally did get the book and I finished it in one go (well almost) but boy was I hooked onto the book and now I know what they mean when they say about a book being a compulsive page turner.My immediate reaction on finishing the book is WOW and I mean realllyyy WOW if MBA-1 was great I have run out of superlatives for the second one.I cant compare the two for both the books are just to great to be compared to each other.I know you did want it to be a series but the continuation is nostalgic.The intensity of MBA-2 is just too great. It reminded me as to why I wanted to do my majors in HR in the first place. The professional situations and the personal emotions have been so well scripted that I am already awaiting MBA-3, I don’t mean to rush you but just cant wait ;-)Each character of the book is so wonderfully narrated that one can imagine them in the same room while reading the book and the visuals are easy to come by.The advice of friends, the nagging of parents, insecurity of job, troubled relationships, importance of a mentor, value of a faculty each is an emotion that is easy to associate with.You had me smiling, laughing and crying in the book. Though I suspect people in the coffee shop would have thought that I had certainly gone bonkers. The humor was intelligent with a special mention to KLPD consultants. Towards the end a huge THANK YOU for the wonderful experience.cheers!!AshimaP.S. If Abbey is still available can I have him 🙂 I am one of those who likes men with grey sideburns.

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  9. Sundip Gorai Avatar
    Sundip Gorai

    Abhijit,Just finished your second book to kill the ennui of four flights (Atlanta Omaha via Chicago and back). Incidentally, i was going for a presentation with a junior from your Alma Matar – Santanu Das and he talked about you.Your book has some nice observations and glimpses of the working man and the bengali bhadralok ( yours truly being one of them). There are some real humourous lines like the one about man, woman, love and sex. Some well rounded observation about dealing with interpersonal issues at the work placeI was just curious, by any chance did you get the inspiration from Goldratt’s ‘ Goal’ – at a remote level the themes are similar – a troubled married man with a troubled factory life – or, is it pure coinicidence – i wonder!.

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  10. kalyani singh Avatar
    kalyani singh

    i finished the book in one go. definetly a good read. mediocre but arrogant had u in splits throught the narration. that is not the case wth married but available so dont go in with the expectation that u will be laughing all through, though this book has its own moments. the book is more realistic and the advices of captain sobti and venky are very intertesting. the characters of both the girls do required more depth. i still dont understand keya. the book follows the philosophy of om shanti om i.e”hamari picharo ki tarah hamari zindagi mein bhi end mein sab thik ho jata hai happy’s endings aur nahi toh pichare abhi baaki hai mere dost”. i think one should definetly give this book one read. this book definetly has a feel good factor about it.and pls abhijeet if are planning another book with abbey as your lead. why not make him committed. this guy falls for any girl at the drop of a hat. but still abbey in his confused elements rocked throughout.

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  11. Abhiruchi Avatar
    Abhiruchi

    Dear Abhijit,Let me confess that with ‘ Married but available’ , I have got myself back to love for reading after quite a long time.Unlike others or my old habbit, I finished reading in 5 days time.I was always asked by close collegues to finish it off quickly so that they could get hold of this book to read.:-).As I mentioned earlier this books keeps you fixed as you could relate so much to yourself .Entire flow of story has been backgrounded very well.Catching point to me were – Mama’s chokta, pride of getting first job, Father’s doubt on private sector, billarpur township and on the top of it the MBA nature of all MBA’s today.I must appreciate the simple writing flow.Will wait for more stuff coming from you to read.All the Best:-)Cheers!Abhiruchi

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  12. Jody Avatar
    Jody

    Abhijit,If I may offer my review this is what I would write about your book. It was an interesting read absolutely. I had to order it from a bookstore in New York City.Abhijit Bhaduris’ tale, “Mediocre but Arrogant,” is proof perfect that no one learns about good feelings in college. The, “dreaded quizzes,” are filled with bad feelings, misunderstandings, and rifts and leaves us questioning our beliefs to the point where we must conclude the opposite. His characters in looking at the activating events in their lives and living in the moment begin questioning their beliefs and examining their feelings. They are more or less as prepared as they can be for the rights of passage into adulthood and responsibilities. And in case anyone forgets these experiences it is a reminder that learning is painful at any age. The story moves deliberately slow to start as his characters are learning about flight, fight, depression, abandonment and the dozens of emotional consequences connected with these broader categories, in this coming of age. The story offers insight into the many fallacies in life that hold us back from achieving our dreams. One could argue that cultural differences do not exist, that the use of four letter words is necessary if only as a juvenile prop, that the book portrays educated women in a negative way as promiscuous, and ridiculous that in the character of Rascal Rusty one could find a higher power close to God drawing some resemblances to the writings of C.S. Lewis.It is always the teacher, professor, or perhaps love of one’s’ life, whom one admires, who has made a difference in our life, who puts us back on the road to good feelings. Mediocre but Arrogant has left me feeling like I have just run a marathon even though sitting perfectly still. It is not for the fainthearted.

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  13. D Aravindh Shukla Avatar
    D Aravindh Shukla

    I read the novel, I read it in one sitting, I rarely do this (The other novels which got the treatment , Go Kiss the World and Bombay Rain Bombay Girls). I would like to confess here that I may be biased in praising the novel as I praise all the novels which has the college background in it. ( I didn’t go to college) I relate with the things which happen to the pratogonist with me. A Nice read and unbaised review later.

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  14. Ahana Mukherjee Avatar
    Ahana Mukherjee

    Read the book on my way back to KL. It is really unputdownable. One just had to know what happens to Abbey and hence i finished the book at one go!! Abbey is a lovable though confused character but really did Ayesha have to be so bitchy?? I mean who would go to the lengths to marry a person just so that he can be away from someone he loves..Keya in Abbey’s case! And it is funny how this Abbey gets attracted to all the wrong kinds….Keya another mad cap…good he didnt get married to her after ayesha, his parents would have had a heart attack!!Anyway great story…all the characters are very well rounded off by the time the book ends u actually understand each character even Ayesha and not bear grudges against her!! I mean she is what she is…and abbey married her for the wrong reasons…BTW though the book has been called just another book in the MBA series and not necessarily a sequel …one of the newspapers mentions it as just that ‘a sequel’!! Well cant wait for the next MBA!!

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  15. Saikat Saha Avatar
    Saikat Saha

    Married but available is not the typical sequel [Because Rascal Rusty said so!!!!!,read acknowledgements to know further…] of the prolific wordsmith of new age, Abhijit Bhaduri’ s first book ‘Mediocre But Arrogant’.Married But Available unfolds the first 10 years of the Abbey’s work life after graduating from an esteemed institution.The book shifts it’s gear from time to time in a delightful pace that unplugs Abbey’s proffesional and personal persuit of gaining greater meaning and purpose through enjoying the simplicities around him like eating the delicious yet familier [if u r a Delhite] jalebis, playing word games[among many other games ;-)] with Ayesha, buying a second hand car[which leads to his biggest personal complexity], learning the fish and pond matrix from his proffesional mentor ‘Captain Sobti’, listening to early morning ‘Raag Bharavi’, admiration of the Taj Mahal by moonlight alongwith Keya, witty remarks by Rascal Rusty and a soul stirring letter from Father Hathaway [I have read that letter multiple times since I read the book]among many many others…..Another interesting dimension to the book is Abbey’s persuit of dealing with his complexities of life ranging from separation with his wife Ayesha after marriage, atrocious factory politics, finding alternative solutions for saving hundreds of jobs as an HR associate, struggle for being at sync [proffesionally and personally] with batchmates and sudden demise of Father Hathaway among many many others.It’s the innocent juxtapose of these simplicities and complexities which makes the book a reading delight.Being an HR student, I found great amont of HR wisdom which is rare to be found in text books.Consider this for example ‘ The way you treat people who don’t matter shows your real character.Never ignore those who cannot do anything for you. Remember, sometimes prayers work better than strategies in the corporate world’orA life lesson like ‘ Stop asking about the meaning of life and instead, think of yourself as the one questioned by life.’I don’t remember the last time I read a book which is so wholesome in terms of it’s tersed tone, candor, wit, humour, knowledge,maturity[at times innocent immaturity too] and emotions…..I strongly recommend the book to all of you….Happy Reading!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  16. Apoorva Avatar
    Apoorva

    On the onset, let me congratulate you Abhijit, on writing such a wondeful book.I finished this book all in 1 go, and now yearning for more.If any1 could have written a book on my own personal experiences and Escapedes, Tryst with life then i bet it would be something on familiar lines as the contents of this book.Infact i have started to associate myself very closely with the main character of this Novel.This book has now started to make me feel, That its not always that we ask questions from life, but the other way round as well.

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  17. Saikat Saha Avatar
    Saikat Saha

    Married But Available is not the typical sequel [Because Rascal Rusty said so!!!!!,read acknowledgements to know further…] of the prolific wordsmith of new age, Abhijit Bhaduri’ s first book ‘Mediocre But Arrogant’.Married But Available unfolds the first 10 years of the Abbey’s work life after graduating from an esteemed institution.The book shifts it’s gear from time to time in a delightful pace that unplugs Abbey’s proffesional and personal persuit of gaining greater meaning and purpose through enjoying the simplicities around him like eating the delicious yet familier [if u r a Delhite] jalebis, playing word games[among many other games ;-)] with Ayesha, buying a second hand car[which leads to his biggest personal complexity], learning the fish and pond matrix from his proffesional mentor ‘Captain Sobti’, listening to early morning ‘Raag Bharavi’, admiration of the Taj Mahal by moonlight alongwith Keya, witty remarks by Rascal Rusty and a soul stirring letter from Father Hathaway [I have read that letter multiple times since I read the book]among many many others…..Another interesting dimension to the book is Abbey’s persuit of dealing with his complexities of life ranging from separation with his wife Ayesha after marriage, atrocious factory politics, finding alternative solutions for saving hundreds of jobs as an HR associate, struggle for being at sync [proffesionally and personally] with batchmates and a college reunion of different kind among many many others.It’s the innocent juxtapose of these simplicities and complexities which makes the book a reading delight.Being an HR student, I found great amount of HR wisdom which is rare to be found in text books.Consider this for example ‘ The way you treat people who don’t matter shows your real character.Never ignore those who cannot do anything for you. Remember, sometimes prayers work better than strategies in the corporate world’orA life lesson like ‘ Stop asking about the meaning of life and instead, think of yourself as the one questioned by life.’I don’t remember the last time I read a book which is so wholesome in terms of it’s tersed tone, candor, wit, humour, knowledge,maturity[at times innocent immaturity too] and emotions…..I strongly recommend the book to all of you….Happy Reading!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  18. Mrinalini Batra Avatar
    Mrinalini Batra

    Married But Available – is quite a misnomer! The book does deal with issues relating to matters of the heart but it is more about Abbey’s professional journey. An a non management person, I did get a good insight into how HR works. The characters Rusty, Captain Sobti, Abbey’s neighbour and her dog, Ayesha, and of course, Abbey, are all charcters that we have met in college and later in life. But I could not fathom why Ayesha married Abbey? Unlike Keya, who is a dreamer, Ayesha is supposedly practical and worldly wise.The book does lead one to wonder how much of the story, especially teh indiscretions, are autobiographical!Not very intellectual, the book is an easy read.

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  19. Nipun Avatar
    Nipun

    ‘Married But Available’- the title itself is so catchy that it leaves you guessing what maybe inside the book……..and you end up with eventually buying the book….This was the case with me and I think with most of the readers…I came home and finished it off in straight 10 hours (well m a slow reader)…..Liked the book very much, the characters were having very real touch….Waiting for your 3rd book desperately!!!!!!

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  20. Bhvisha Avatar
    Bhvisha

    Hi Abhijit,I loved the book – Married but available!Its simply brilliant – so simple yet catchy and so practical. Wish life could go on with such practical solutions!This book definitely is gonna be my pocket diary for long in this corporate world. And have already made recommendations and got two readers hooked to the book.Eagerly waiting for your next book! Thanks for this one!

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  21. km Avatar
    km

    Abhijit,Hats off to you…It’s truly a wonderul read… more so because I can relate to Abbey at many levels..It helps that I am going through a painful lay-off myself.. I have myself questioned my career choice and am reviewing my whole corporate experience from my undergrad days.. I also started as a MT in a tough manufacturing unit and later joined the corporate side of things.. I couldn’t help but relate to the characters and the storyline. the fact that i was born/studied in Jampot helps 🙂 Your insights truly helped me in reviewing my relative strengths/weaknesses with respect to the corporate work culture.. It’s one of those things where you either fit in or don’t .. There is no middle path here… I felt that you captured this theme very well in your book.But all said and done, the management fundaes are very well interspersed in a very captivating storyline. Although I am a marketing professional, I am very much a HR thinker.Your insights into corporate life are superb and I would love to read more of your books.

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  22. Vikram Avatar
    Vikram

    To keep it nice and briefThe book is almost as good as the previous one,But one wishes there was more of Rusty ;), every appearance of his makes you wish for more. Overall a quick read and worth the wait 😀

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  23. swati suman Avatar
    swati suman

    this book really inspired me a lot… i am doing my MBA in HR so its shown a frame me that how i will work after my MBA……..

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  24. Gopikrishna Madhavan Avatar
    Gopikrishna Madhavan

    Abhijit,I read both your books – Mediocre But Arrogant and then just this morning completed Married But Available. I must admit that I did not enjoy the first book very much though I am from XL myself (1987-89). I guess it’s a different experience for each one of us – while I could relate to most of the physical surroundings, the personal experience I had of the two years that I stayed there was entirely different! But that’s just part of what they taught us too – what you see could be completely different from how someone else perceives anything!On the other hand, your “second” book was excellent! Its amazing that I could not keep the book down till it was almost finished! I probably preferred this book because it showed the more humane side of Abhijit Bhaduri. What I saw in the first book was a self centered Abbey who enjoyed using people, while the second book showed a more learned, mature and wise Abbey valuing individuals, family, colleagues and life in general!Personally I envy anyone who has such varied interests like you – in RJ’ing, writing books, writing those one pagers on Linked In apart from having a “successful” corporate life! I do hope you will continue to write and stay in touch!Regards/ Gopi(Gopikrishna Madhavan, Abu Dhabi, UAE)

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  25. Rajesh Soundararajan Avatar
    Rajesh Soundararajan

    Abhijit, just read your Married But Available… well written… Humorous and insightful. I like your blending of OB2 and OM2. Congrats!

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  26. Ashima Sundaram Avatar
    Ashima Sundaram

    Dear Mr. Bhaduri,Good Morning!Hope you had a great weeked…………!I wanna tell you about mine which i have spent reading Married But Available and i must tell you that i enjoyed it very much.The story of Abbey is very well paced……….the moment you finish one chapter …….you are curious to move to next as you really want to know what is next with that poor chap.He had gone thru so many ups and down that i was really feeling pity for him. The story feels so real that you can really relate to most of the characters……….Like to give you an example…….Abbey’s father is more like my father in law……….Asmita is like me..so caring for the family and i love Keya, Captain Sobti and Matt Keller whio actually formed an image of a selfish and mean in the begining but became the Hero in the end when he made the call to Abbey at MIJ to announce about his Promotion. I felt so happy then as if Abbey is a close friend of mine……the life at Balwanpur…………and Mrs. Dayal a very kind lady……..I felt Sad when i read about Funtoosh.The HR strategy mentioned ………if i read it as a lay man………are very interesting and i could understand them…………Haathi’s ( hathway…….sorry but loved his name) quotes were so true that i adopted few of them for myself……..The kind of experince Abbey had with all the girls Keya / Ayesha and Sophie and at last he started with Cauvita was pretty interesting………he tried his hands everywhere :-)The way you have mentioned about places like regal cinema’s paan shop………..karim’s , New friends colonty etc………..one tries to imagine the same while reading…………….I must say all characters were very real…………..and I really enjoy the read.But i also felt that i should have finished Mediocre But Arrogant first :-(………anyways now i will also read that because i am aware of Abbey’s All the friends of MIJ.I wish you really very best and wish to read many more books which you will write…………Thanks for introducing me the book.Best Regards,Ashima

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  27. Sanil Mathews Avatar
    Sanil Mathews

    Abhijit,Fantastic, i must say. Simple written books that people can easily relate to. I everytime believed and continue to believe that HR is not management but connecting emotional chords. Moving from one book to the other was easy and seamless. A rather emotionaly immature protagonist to a seasoned HR manager.Waiting for your next release.CheersSanil Mathews.

    Reply
  28. Shailesh Shetye Avatar
    Shailesh Shetye

    Abhijit,I mentioned to you about how I was getting eager to read “Married but Available”. Incidentally, my wife is visiting India to see her parents. (I visit India once and she does it twice – she likes to call it a “guilt-free” visit – not sure why though).I asked Kshama to buy me the book as I couldn’t find it here in London. She just bought it a couple of days back and believe she read the first few pages. She gave me a call from India (normally, it’s me who has to call her to prove that I miss her !!) just to tell me that the book is brilliant. She was impressed with my uncanny ability to find such books – thanks to you.I’ve now asked her to buy 2 copies. Kshama is due to be back soon now and I know that I won’t get to touch the book until she finishes with it. So I’ve asked her to get the 2nd copy for me so that I can start reading as soon as she lands here in London.I’ve just got you another fan Abhijit !!Cheers,Shailesh

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  29. Rishi Raj Avatar
    Rishi Raj

    DEAR MR. ABBEY,I HAVE READ YOUR BOOK ” MARRIED BUT AVAILABLE.” IT WAS GOOD .BUT NOW I WOULD SUGGEST YOU TO WRITE A BOOK WHERE A PERSONDISCOVERS NEW GOALS AND NEW COMPROMISES WHILE MAKING IT OUT TO DO A BUSINESS AFTER PASSING OUT FROM AN MBA SCHOOL ( MAYBE SAY XLRI, YOUR PAST COLLEGE). TODAYS GENERATIONS HAVE SEEN ENOUGH OF LOVE . SHOW THEM SOME REALITY AND JOYS AND HURDLESOF AN IMAGINARY PRSON WHO AFTER PASSI NG OUT FROM A BUSINESS COLLEGE FIGHTS TO START A NEW BUSIMESS. I AM SURE YOU HAVE THECAPABILITY TO ROPE IN THE THRILL IN THAT BOOK .HUMBLY YOURS ,RISHI

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  30. Ashish D. Avatar
    Ashish D.

    Hi Sir,Your are really gifted with the art of story writing its too good and really fantastic. Pls do keep yor MBA series and eargly waiting for MBA 3.Keep writing.Thanks

    Reply
  31. Shree Avatar
    Shree

    “Say it when u r in love- or else life can give u a reason to repent”- this is the first thing came to my mind after reading “Married but available” by Abhijit. Am bit biased for the book, but am honestly trying to be honest with my observations and comments. The observations would have been different other wise as am yet to read the first one of the series “Mediocre but arrogant”. (Would write another piece once m done with the 1st one)A good work with expressions. Abbey (the Bengali simple middle class) Ayesha (the ultra rich ultra modern Punjabi gal), Abbey (the much satisfied employee of Balwanpur Industries) Ayesha (the ambititous one). Abbey (the second hand maruti car) Ayesha (the Mercedez benz ). Negatives attract but not necessarily that they should stick together forever. That’s how I would explain Abbey-Ayesha relationship. The dilemma of Abbey, an attachment of a middle class boy towards his family & the middle class values he possesses and the struggle to survive a marriage with a ultra rich girl with so much of cultural differences.Ultimately best possible thing happens. They depart.HR, somehow has been integral part of the book. Abbey’s first job, first difficulties in job, first exposure to ground level work away from books and lectures, management-worker relationship and the role of HR in-between. Dilemmas of workers after the takeover. All well said. You can walk along the characters and feel the ups and downs of their emotions. That makes the reader live the book, not just read the book.Here lies the success of the writer to connect with the reader . Credit all urs Aby..Abbey’s personal dilemmas, professional dilemmas, asking help from Rascal Rusty, his own fears of loosing the job, comparisons with friends, obsession with designation, putting all together we can actually relate to ourselves. We all go through it, some how or other, some day or other.It symbolises the struggle of a modern youth of INDIA.Characters like Capt. Sobti, Balwan Singhwe we can see in our life. Just that they can not be loved, can not be hated, just have to be tolerated. Nasha, of course deserves some sympathy.Finally Keya,Keya, the unpredictable, is ofcourse my another reason of biasness towards the book. She resembles a self that’s the closest to mine. The character has lots of shades. The lovely Keya, the lover Keya, the loved Keya, the ultra romatic Keya, the mad Keya, the jealous Keya, the strong Keya and finally the enlightened Keya. Her charm, madness, poetry, expression of feelings, confidence, taj in moon light, makes the reader fall in love with her again and again. She has always been the strength for Abbey. Lucky Abbey . She left Abbey, for the search within…it did not leave Abbey angry, unhappy or devastated, but just that he decided to wait…may be just coz he loved her, he respected her and moreover he understood her.To make the already long note short, I say a simple way of writing without much of heaviness, yet meaningful…reader’s delight as most of the readers can relate themselves to the protagonist or any of the characters.…A good book for youths…nice work overall!!!!KEEP IT UP ABBEY…!!!

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  32. Vasudev Murthy Avatar
    Vasudev Murthy

    I thought this was an eminently readable and enjoyable book. There is an ease of language and expression that reflects long periods of sustained in-the-flow writing, by a very confident writer.Lots of gems are hidden here and there and could form the basis for a book on corporate philosophy. But they are blurred by the constant dialogues (which on the other hand makes for the pace). The end – the offer of a Director’s position – did not seem entirely realistic (too-good-to-be-true) and I thought the issue of the separation was handled in a rush; I am assured there is a context set in an earlier book.All in all, the book felt real and I could feel for the protagonist who came across as honest and well-meaning.

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  33. Suvidha Aggarwal Avatar
    Suvidha Aggarwal

    Hi Abhijit,Congratulations on your second novel!I must say it’s a fabulous piece that you’ve put together. I’m not much of a reader and just chanced upon your novel during transit. And I was so hooked on to it. An honest, light and a humorous read – that finally gives MBAs like me a reality check of life.Besides everything else, I just the character Ayesha. She is the most real person ever. Infact, every other gal I know has the shades and qualities of Ayesha.There is a strong sense of honesty in your writing. Also, your writing style is easy and the flow rather smooth. It was indeed a delight to read your novel.Keep writing. Waiting for your forthcoming novels.Regards,Suvidha

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  34. Suneeta Avatar
    Suneeta

    Not having read Abhijit’s first book, I bought the sequel Married But Available, with little expectations. As I started reading, I was quite taken aback as to how true to life the depictions in the book were. Having worked in the HR area of a Large Steel Manufacturing Company, I could empathize with most of the characters. The author’s portrayal of the small sleepy town where the inhabitant’s world is limited to life at the plant and the club during after hours brings a familiar warmth to all those who have ever lived in a Steel township. The role of the new to town fresh MBA grad (Abbey) who is now the new HR guy is well crafted and takes us HR professionals back to the time when we started off. His real education as he handles embittered union leaders, golf playing bosses, nosey housewives, crazy incentive schemes and a merger that threatens the livelihood of many in the town, is interesting watch as the novel unfolds. Juxtaposed among the work life plots is his personal travails, kind God fearing parents, smart and beautiful wife who feels smothered by the small town, Abbey reconnecting with his old flame, the subtle competition among batch mates and the hypocrisy of it all is sensitively written.This book was a pleasure to read and in spite of Abhijit’s disclaimers, one keeps wondering did that really happen to him? How blurred are the lines between fact and fiction? In any case, I look forward to going in reverse order and reading his first book Mediocre but Arrogant.

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  35. Vijay Avatar
    Vijay

    I have read both of your book. They are wonderful. Waiting for your third book….:)

    Reply
  36. obrazy Avatar
    obrazy

    Nice post, are you seling links from your website? I’m interested…

    Reply

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