American president Abraham Lincoln had once said: ‘Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?’ But what if you fall in love with the enemy-cum-friend? Female protagonist Maya in the book The Indian Tycoon’s Marriage Deal faces the same dilemma. Penned by Adite Banerjie, the book is part of the Indian edition of Mills & Boon (M&B) series. And the author sticks to the formula of this popular romance fiction. Two drop-dead gorgeous people meet, get together, excite each other with fiery kisses, make love and then part ways only to land in each other’s arms again.
Landscape designer Maya is beautiful, confident and like most M&B heroines, a head turner. But Maya has a dark past. Her only aim is to avenge her father’s death caused by multi-millionaire Kamalkant Dev or K D. The capital is ruled by K D and destroying him is no easy deal. However, opportunity soon knocks on Maya’s door in the form of K D’s son Krish Dev.
Krish, like most M&B protagonists, has everything - from killer looks to a coconut heart. Underneath the rough exterior is a little boy who has never forgiven his father for his mother’s predicament. He desperately wants to get out of his father’s shadow. Krish feels that marrying someone against K D’s wish is the best way to prove that there is no way his father can rule his life.
One day, he spots Maya. Ignoring the warm tug in his heart he approaches her for a contract marriage. She agrees, thinking that this will be her only way to get close to K D to destroy him. But obviously cupid has other plans. The rest should be left to imagination. But here is a bit of help. You can do a quick walk down the memory lane and remember all the Hindi movies and serials you have watched in your growing up years. And voila, there you have it.
For those who do not believe in the M&B kind of love, this book can be a turn-off. For decades the series has charmed many, especially women with stories of torrid love affairs between blushing virgins and square-jawed charmers. This is no exception. But as you keep reading the book you feel that the author is depicting a relationship devoid of modern Indian sensibility. Sex gets undue importance. Before signing the contract Maya says a strict no to sex. During the course of the story but obviously they make love. And then you wonder if this is how modern Indian women think and react to intimacy. However, if you are an M&B fan and do not mind trying to find the abbreviations for gulab jamun (Krish calls them GJs), then the book may be a pleasant and casual read.