12 Years: My Messed-up Love Story by Chetan Bhagat (Book Review: 3*/5) !!!

  

7th Book of 2025!

 

Anyone who began their reading journey with Indian authors more than a decade and a half ago knows what Chetan Bhagat means to the Indian book ecosystem. If you haven’t read him, you probably don’t realize how his success paved the way for countless other authors to find a place in the Indian fiction section of bookstores. Having read all his previous books, I was quite excited about his new release, especially since it arrived after a four-year wait. I finished reading his latest novel — “12 Years: My Messed-up Love Story” — in just two sittings, despite it being his lengthiest book to date at 432 pages!

 

Chetan Bhagat returns to his signature style — easy narration, simple English, and a conversational tone — the very traits that brought him massive popularity back in 2005. The book flows effortlessly, allowing readers to get through it quickly and comfortably. It revolves around the love story of a 33-year-old man, Saket Khurana, and a 21-year-old woman, Payal Jain. Saket is recovering from the wounds of a divorce while trying to navigate a new career path, whereas Payal is stepping into the corporate world, finding her footing. The title 12 Years is aptly chosen, representing the age difference between the two protagonists.

 

At first glance, one might expect the story to focus primarily on the challenges the couple faces due to their age gap and differing ideologies. Surprisingly, though, they connect rather effortlessly. The initial dating conversations are engaging, and Bhagat effectively builds the personalities of both characters through those exchanges. The stand-up comedy scenes, a recurring element in the plot, are handled well — light, humorous, and easy to visualize. Alongside the main characters, Bhagat gives fair attention to the supporting ones too — whether it’s Saket’s friend, Payal’s parents, or her influencer best friend.

 

There are a few romantic and intimate scenes, written with the familiar flair that Bhagat is known for — something that has earned him both praise and trolling over the years. He executes them tastefully, making readers feel the same passion as the characters. The funniest moment in the book is when someone catches them in the middle of an intimate act — a scene that genuinely made me laugh out loud. I even made my friends read that part, and they all had the same reaction! Bhagat also injects humour through a Punjabi character’s perspective on the restrictive lifestyle of the Jain community but does so respectfully, ensuring it never comes across as offensive.

 

The story later shifts from Mumbai to Dubai, which adds freshness to the narrative. It’s rare to see Indian love stories travel beyond domestic settings, and the Dubai chapters add a nice visual variety. However, I wished Bhagat had explored the setting a bit more; it felt somewhat underutilized.

 

One major difference this time is Bhagat’s attempt to integrate real social issues into the storyline. He raises strong points about India’s gender-biased divorce laws that often work against men, the trend of unreasonable alimony demands, the social taboos surrounding caste, age gaps, and the “divorcee” label in matchmaking, the evolving dating culture, and the need for youngsters to balance career and relationships. He also highlights how marriages can fail without anyone being a “villain,” how Indian parents still try to impose their choices on children, the struggles of start-up funding, and how social media often masks the reality of people’s lives.

 

Despite being one of my go-to authors, I must admit that this book didn’t completely satisfy me. Bhagat’s return to love stories feels somewhat dated, offering nothing particularly fresh or groundbreaking, given his experience in the genre. His writing still caters largely to college-going readers rather than evolving to appeal to a wider, more mature audience. The narrative slows down noticeably in the second half, which affects the overall momentum. The plot also follows Bhagat’s familiar formula — two people fall in love, parental opposition arises, separation follows, and fate brings them together again. It feels a bit too Bollywood-esque, which can get repetitive.

 

I wish Bhagat had experimented more with the storyline, just as he did with the themes he courageously touched upon. The book could have benefited from tighter editing — it didn’t need to stretch to over 400 pages; somewhere around 250–300 would have sufficed. Moreover, the age-gap theme, while central to the title, doesn’t contribute much depth to the chemistry between the protagonists, making its prominence slightly puzzling.

 

Overall, “12 Years: My Messed-up Love Story” is a casual, breezy read that may appeal to new readers or young couples who enjoy light romantic fiction. For seasoned Bhagat readers or those seeking something deeper, it might not leave a lasting impact.

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⭐ Rating: 3 out of 5

 

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WRITING BUDDHA

A Stitch in Time: The Biba Story by Meena Bindra (Book Review: 4.25*/5) !!!

  

6th Book of 2025

Reading autobiographies gives me the much-needed kick every time I complete one. Be it written by a person from any field—Movies, Politics, Entrepreneurship, Sports, or Social Causes—it always inspires me. This time I got a chance to deep dive into the life of Meena Bindra, the founder of Biba stores in India, which is one of the leading brands for women’s clothing. This 215-page hardcover book titled “A Stitch in Time: The Biba Story” is one of those rare books written with complete honesty and purity.

 

The book is nicely divided into small chapters, which makes it perfect to read one a day if you’re not a binge reader. The author starts by describing her childhood and the status quo of her parents and siblings. She shares her upbringing in a way that helps us understand its impact on her later years. Meena narrates her college life and clearly explains how girls were perceived in those days. She talks about an instance where one of her friends got married very early, which reflects the mindset among girls then. Her initial meetings with her to-be husband and how things fell into place leading to marriage make for a very interesting read—it’s hard to imagine people falling in love and proposing romantically 4–5 decades back.

 

The whole event where Meena hosts a small exhibition with a friend in Vishakhapatnam by sourcing clothes from Delhi highlights her courage and entrepreneurial spirit, even when she had no vision of becoming one at that point. Earning ₹8000 in a single day during those times was a huge amount, and it inspires us to try something on our own instead of just talking about self-employment. She describes her life as the wife of a navy personnel with deep interest which explains us about the multiple shifting to different cities, staying in an isolated environment, inaugurating ship standing beside her husband etc. We often just hear about the life of defence officers but very rarely get an insight into the life of their spouses- the gap that Meena fills successfully in this book.

 

The story then moves towards her early motherhood days and the challenge of managing budget with two children, which eventually led Meena to decide to earn for her family. The entire journey of BIBA is described in detail—from starting at her home, experimenting with block printing, people loving her designs and spreading the word, Bollywood actresses like Sharmila Tagore and Ratna Pathak shopping from her store, tie-ups with brands for supplying at their outlets, to finally being recognized as one of the best SKD stores in Mumbai and other milestones. The interactions of BIBA with Shoppers Stop and Mr. Biyani of Future Group are very interesting, as they highlight critical thinking, tough decision-making skills, and the importance of trusting one’s instincts.

 

The last one-third of the book focuses on how her children grew up and began participating in the BIBA business, bringing their own vision. It reflects Meena’s open-mindedness, as she allowed them to implement their modern ideas without letting her own thoughts restrict them from trying and failing. She also candidly shares the scenario of a rift between the brothers that eventually led one to leave the business. She never directly criticizes anyone, but through her narration, we can understand who disappointed her at different stages of her life and entrepreneurial journey.

 

In the last segment, I particularly liked the essay Meena wrote on Fashion, which carries a philosophical tone that excited me enough to re-read it twice. She also includes a monologue-like piece on girls and how they must lead their lives with genuineness—something often missing in today’s feminist articles. She speaks about what is truly required for girls to progress and compete against the opposite gender and societal prejudices.

 

The author hides nothing—she even shares intricate details of her growth in business and describes her failures with the same enthusiasm. This honesty makes the book very special and highly recommendable. I would rate this book 4.25* out of 5 and recommend it to everyone who thinks business can only be started with great capital and a big team.

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WRITING BUDDHA

Dark Star: The Loneliness of Being Rajesh Khanna by Gautam Chintamani (Book Review: 3.75*/5)!!!

  

5^th Book of 2025

Being a Bollywood fan, reading a book based on movies gives me the same excitement and thrill as watching films. I always look out for books that speak about the changes in cinema over the years or narrate the lives of popular figures through biographies/autobiographies. This quest led me to Gautam Chintamani’s Dark Star: The Loneliness of Being Rajesh Khanna, which has been re-published by Rupa Publications after 10 years of its first launch. I never knew about this book, but thanks to Rupa for bringing it into the spotlight once again.

Gautam, as an author, has a wide range and vast experience, having written for years across different forays covering everything from movies to politics. This was my first opportunity to read his work, and I must say his writing style is adapted to make the book a fast read. Even though the book is around 270 pages, I never felt that any of the chapters or segments were stretched. He knows how to keep you hooked by regularly changing gears and providing insights into different aspects of the same topic.

The author has written the book on Rajesh Khanna in a way that feels like a case study, explaining how he struggled to find his first successful movie, then moved towards the peak of his career with 15 consecutive hits, and finally witnessed his career graph falling drastically, never reaching those heights again. Generally, when a biographer chooses a personality, the writing is often in awe of him/her, but this is one of the rarest books I’ve read where the author remains completely neutral towards the subject. He talks about both his good and bad aspects—professional and personal—very courageously, without worrying about how it might be perceived by his family or fans.

Gautam has covered his filmography, describing each movie and its story in detail, which helps us understand the nature of films made in those days. He also highlights how Rajesh Khanna came across as a completely soft, romantic hero without borrowing traits from the then-hit actors like Dev Anand. Similarly, after Amitabh Bachchan became a phenomenon in his ‘angry young man’ avatar, which impacted Rajesh Khanna’s career immensely, the author has been able to compare and discuss both these actors consistently throughout the narrative. At one point, you do feel that Gautam is definitely a fan of Bachchan, given the way he speaks so highly of him every time he mentions him. Haha!

One thing that disappointed me was the non-coverage of Rajesh Khanna’s life as a family man. You get all the details about his behavior off the sets—at home, with colleagues, producers, directors, co-stars, and girlfriends—but you never get an idea of how he was as a son, husband, father, or father-in-law. Since the title of the book refers to him as a “Dark Star,” there must have been a certain amount of darkness in his family life too, which should have been covered.

Overall, the book is written for the new generations who can only relive the era of Bollywood in the 60s, 70s, and 80s through such stories, and this one helps in understanding Bollywood’s first superstar—Rajesh Khanna. This is definitely a page-turner, as you want to know what happens next with a personality like his, someone who constantly tried to reach the heights he experienced right at the start of his career. The author must be appreciated for even covering the last phase of his life, diving deep into his final advertisement shoot for Havells fans and his funeral, which was covered by the media as one of the big events of our country. I would rate this book 3.75* out of 5.

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WRITING BUDDHA