A themed tour through Prism Book Tours.
5px;”>
Shaan Ahuja found himself bowing to tradition and agreeing to an arranged marriage to the beautiful Ruhi Sharma. He went through the motions but had no intention of carrying through on his vows. His last foray into matters of the heart with an American girl had left him scarred and disillusioned and disgruntled he wasted no time in making his intentions clear to Ruhi on their wedding night. But, he was completely unprepared for what his new wife had in mind.
This multi-cultural contemporary romance story of an arranged marriage is a beautiful blending of showing the Indian and American cultures. Readers will learn more about the Indian heritage and the romance that happens behind closed doors in an Indian relationship in Simi K. Rao’s Inconvenient Relations. This coming of age story about true love explores multi-cultural issues.
He frowned, straining to decipher her features obscured by deep shadow. “Deepika?”
“Naa…, not Deepika.” She stepped forward into the light, a bright smile illuminating her strikingly graceful features.
His heart sank. Not Deepika.
“I am Naina—the girl you married. Goodbye, Rihaan.”
The image of a woman wearing a sari conjures up both the remarkable beauty of women and the exquisite artistry of textile and embroidery. The sari is a garment created from a single piece of fabric five to nine yards. Its ingenious design allows for wrapping around a woman’s body in different ways. This allows for a variety of effects: stunning traditional gown, alluring eveningwear, or simple utilitarian work attire.
It is one thing to prepare food for ourselves because we need to eat. It’s mealtime, we’re hungry, what do we have in the cupboard? But it is a whole different thing to cook a special dish or an entire feast because we want to shower someone we love with a caring gesture.
Rihaan stepped into the tiny kitchen to find it dwarfed by his lanky frame. Folding wiry arms across his chest, he leaned gingerly against the wall and watched as she went about her task in a haphazard fashion. Her attempts at putting on a show of neatness and method were failing hopelessly.
Rihaan gave a wry shrug.
“Okay, then let your mom choose your wife and live happily ever after with my blessings,” Rudy said, grinning widely.
“No! Never! I can’t!”
It’s like I can’t describe it- but The Accidental Wife had me HOOKED! I loved how Naina and Rihaan slowly fell for each other, how things kept happening thatnmept them from being together, it was so realistic, how they let their pride get in the way of things, how they decided to stick to their stubborn ideals despite the obvious love and desire they were feeling! . . . All I can say is- for an insight into Indian Society- READ THIS!
Inside it, she found some clothes just like the oversized ones hanging in the closet. They were of no interest to her. What caught her eye was a beautiful silk sari, tie-dyed in a rainbow of colors with decorated elephants marching along the borders and tiny shiny mirrors that caught the light and sparkled like diamonds. She flung it around her neck like a shawl and felt deeply comforted by the strong fragrance of sandalwood.
He soon found himself engaged in the activity of browsing through the huge databanks of boys and girls seeking potential life partners. He was shocked at the variety he saw and equally surprised at the way they presented themselves, especially how particular they were about the kind of mate they wanted. It was just as Rudy had described—a huge marriage market.
Finally after having amused himself for a few hours, Rihaan fell asleep thinking there might just be a solution to all his problems.
“I’m getting married. Time to celebrate.”
His mother, as he’d guessed she would, immediately dismissed him. “Rihaan, if that’s supposed to be a joke then it is a very bad one.”
“Maa… I’m telling the truth,” Rihaan said. “I’ve found a suitable girl and the deal is set.”
Who is your favorite heroine? With so many incredible women in literature who are often trailblazers for women in real life, it is hard to choose just one.
He emerged a few minutes later with a Wonder Woman pin that he fastened to her coat.
The Accidental Wife had me hooked from the start. I love reading about different cultures and this is a perfect example of it. The depth of the characters and how real they came across had me wanting more. I couldn’t put it down.
Marriage is a sacred relationship. It is not just the meeting of two individuals but of two souls. Its purpose is for the continuation of family and to practice one’s Dharma. There is no concept of divorce. Once married, a couple is wedded for life. Divorce is a modern concept introduced through the Hindu Marriage Act of India.
The Accidental WifePaperback & ebook, 270 Pages
March 4th 2015
Some accidents are meant to happen…
Dr. Rihaan Mehta is a brilliant young neurosurgeon who has no inclination for love or marriage. According to him wives and girlfriends are annoying accessories that one can do without. But when his mother dangles the sword over his head in classic Bollywood style, he succumbs, and sets out in search of a bride who would fit his ‘requirements’. But can Rihaan deal with what he gets instead?
Simi K. Rao was born and grew up in both northern and southern India before relocating to the U.S., where she has lived for several years. Inconvenient Relations is her first published novel.
The inspiration for this book, and her other projects, comes from her own experience with cross-cultural traditions, lifestyles and familial relationships, as well as stories and anecdotes collected from friends, family and acquaintances.
Rao enjoys exploring the dynamics of contemporary American culture blended with Indian customs and heritage to reflect the challenges and opportunities many Indian-American women face in real life.
Much of Rao’s down time is devoted to creative pursuits, including writing fiction, poetry and photography. She is an avid traveler and has visited many locations around the world. A practicing physician, Rao lives in Denver with her family.
$50 Amazon gift card
5 ebooks of The Accidental Wife
Open internationally
Ends March 29th
Related Articles
4 Comments
-
This book sounds like an interesting and unique love story. I can’t wait to read it!
-
Thank you Emily. I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Simi K. Rao recently posted…The Allure of the Sari and an excerpt from ‘The Accidental Wife’
-
-
Really want to read this 🙂 I love getting my hands on a piece of fiction that uses another culture. Most of the time, I only stumble across things in the US or set in the UK. As a kid, I read Shiva’s Fire by Suzanne Fisher Staples and loved the glimpses into India through it. It’d be nice to read something that’s geared towards adult readers. I mean, the eyes on the cover really draw you in and make you curious. Plus, I think saris are beautiful, so if there’s more descriptions of them in the book, that’d be nice 🙂 But mostly, I’d like to read about the culture.
The arranged marriage thing is something I find really interesting. When you have two strangers marrying each other, they come in with the similar thoughts of, “We don’t know each other, but we will make this work the best we can.” I think the making it work bit is something that Western culture lacks. Relationships take work, and that can’t be clearer than in an arranged marriage. If it was an option for me, I think I’d let my parents set things up. So long as they’d keep in mind that I don’t want to leave Seattle (they’re back in WV). But, I’ll just have to live vicariously through books with it instead 🙂
-
Hi Sarah!
It’s so very nice of you to share your thoughts about Indian culture and arranged marriage in particular. You expressed my feelings exactly 🙂 Relationships do take a lot of work, no matter how they originate. I hope you will read my book and enjoy not just the culture but also the story 🙂
Simi K. Rao recently posted…What some are saying about ‘The Accidental Wife’
-
