The book, Dating, Diapers and Denials is a first attempt by author Rachna Singh, who has over 15 years of experience in the corporate world. It comprises personal stories of the writer along with observational anectodal humour. It talks about what a woman goes through when she dates and the transformation to being married, having babies and the ‘funny events’ which unfold in the process. There is a part at the beginning of the book, where Rachna explains about the delivery of her first child in Japan, where the operation was conducted with the help of placards to convey the steps involved in the procedure, which was hilarious. “This book is something every woman will relate to, though not admit. Even men with a good sense of humour can relate to it,” says Rachna. When asked if she always thought of writing, she says, “Not really. It just happened. I used to send e-mails to my relatives and friends about the happenings in my life and they found the narrative very funny. One of my uncles suggested that I put it together in a book.”
It took her about a year to put the book together. And why didn’t she think of writing before? She adds, “I had a lot of self-doubt and I didn’t want to write something just for the heck of it.”
She also asserts, “I didn’t want any big name or celebrity to promote my book, as suggested by many. I believe in the power of ‘word of mouth’.”
The 220-page book is an immensely funny read which talks about the author’s life which traverses from meeting Mr Right, dating, getting married, having babies and the much-dreaded word ‘denial’. The book won’t take you long to read, even if you are an extremely slow reader, plus its a very easy read. You will come across moments in the book, especially if you are a woman, which you might have also gone through in your life, but you wouldn’t have thought of it as ‘funny’. This book will make you see the lighter things in life, as it is neither preachy not does it carry any message.
When we ask her if she fears that her book will be lost in the already crowded market of ‘chick-flick’ books, she isn’t worried since the response has been good and she doesn’t want to limit it to a genre. “My book is not a story. It’s about my life. I have received mails from around the world from women and men, who could relate to it and some who read it just for a good laugh.”
To give a glimpse of the ‘funny quotient’, the book is divided into chapters like ‘You will learn that saying ‘Let’s Talk’ is like holding a gun to a man’s head’ and ‘You will pursue fitness to get back to those jeans.’ and it is priced affordably too. The book was launched at Reliance TimeOut, Mantri Square.