🩵Book Review🩵

 Meenakshi Kumar’s In The Game of Love is a contemporary domestic drama that explores the evolving dynamics of love, marriage, and personal identity in the context of modern Indian society. At its heart, the novel reflects the tensions between traditional gender expectations and the growing assertion of women’s autonomy—a theme increasingly relevant in the post-liberalization Indian milieu.

Suman, the protagonist, is an ambitious, educated woman—an MBA graduate from the prestigious IIM Ahmedabad. She begins her adult life with clear professional goals, aiming for a top position in the corporate world. However, marriage to Kunal and the birth of their daughter significantly redirect her path. Caught in the culturally idealized role of the self-sacrificing wife and mother, Suman gradually lets go of her career, her personal aspirations, and even her self-image. Her husband’s infidelity with his secretary, Tara, shatters what remains of her illusion of a stable domestic life.

The novel then follows Suman as she confronts the consequences of choices made under societal pressure. Her emotional journey—marked by betrayal, disappointment, and a quest for rediscovery—culminates in her consideration of a new life with Rajan, a figure from her past.

The novel engages deeply with the theme of female agency in a changing India. Suman’s journey is emblematic of many middle-class Indian women who find themselves at the crossroads of modern professional ambitions and enduring patriarchal expectations. Kumar effectively portrays how internalized gender norms—particularly those around motherhood and self-worth—can cause women to sacrifice their identities in the name of domestic harmony.

Kumar’s writing is straightforward and emotionally resonant. The prose avoids unnecessary embellishments, focusing instead on internal monologue and domestic detail to bring Suman’s world alive. Some readers might find the character of Kunal somewhat stereotypical—the inattentive, success-obsessed husband—but the emotional authenticity of Suman’s character compensates for this.

In The Game Of Love can be read as part of a growing body of Indian English Literature that seeks to articulate women's experiences beyond simplistic binaries of tradition and modernity. It captures the quiet, often invisible battles women fight within the home, which are just as significant as public struggles for rights and representation.

In The Game Of Love is a heartfelt and insightful exploration of a woman's quest for selfhood amidst emotional and cultural upheaval. While the storyline may follow a somewhat familiar arc of betrayal and self-discovery, it is the emotional depth and realism of Suman's inner life that make the novel stand out.

Must read♥️♥️