'I Quit' , Now What?

For those taken in by the headline, I haven't quit anything! That's just the name of the book I'm reviewing, which was written by Zarreen Khan, who has NOT quit her job either, She is "a mother, cook, maid, doctor and magician for her kids - a very demanding job! And when she gets time off, she works as a marketing consultant."

Now, much like Nimisha, the protagonist in the book, who does some 'jasoosi', I looked up Zarreen Khan on Facebook, and I found out that two of my friends have clicked 'Like' on one of Zarreen's pictures. Other than that, I don't know Zarreen at all. Except through her writing. This is for the sake of being totally transparent with my readers.

Now, for her book:

Chapter one opens with a wedding in Goa. Interesting. Me likey. 

Chapter two sees Nimisha, the protagonist, heading to her office.  

Loved these opening lines, "Slavery is common in the corporate world. And having committed the sin of taking a Friday off for a friend's wedding - which is as much leave a typical boss would give you even if you were hospitalised for some deadly disease - it is but natural, that several of us are dressed in formal office gear as we head for the early Monday morning flight to Delhi. It's straight to work from the airport, even though most of us have had only a few hours of sleep."

After that, the story for half the book is about how Nimisha works up the courage to go on a sabbatical, her equation with her boss and two subordinates, the people in her office, politics, and so on. I found this bit a tad too stretched out, but maybe that's just me, having worked full-time in corporate India since 2003. 

I think the first half would be an eye-opener for MBA aspirants, who are interested in knowing how those who do not pass out of the Top Tier B-Schools, that is, the majority of MBAs in India end up. (I'm not trying to put down the protagonist. No. Not at all. I'm with her.) Nimisha works in Toddlerz, and from her description, it is quite a dead-end job.

What happens in the second half of the book is more interesting - Nimisha's life when she quits her job. This includes events in Toddlerz - the office she leaves behind, events at home, how she ends up lying to her friends, how that leads to other surprises, both in her personal life and in her professional life, how she finds her passion, the resolution of a romantic triangle and more.

To find out how life takes a turn for the better when Nimisha quits her job, read the book. 

I must add that this is a very grounded and realistic book. A middle-class perspective, if you will. Just a story of a hard-working young girl in corporate India, following her heart, in the face of criticism from all quarters, a scene most Indian women from a similar background can relate to.

Review Copy: Amaryllis Publishing