I read ‘The Sari Shop’ over a decade ago. I remember how good I felt while reading it. It was a heartwarming story that stayed with me long after I finished it. I found the protagonist endearing. I came across the book as I was going through some of my old stuff—kept on random shelves and boxes at my parent’s home. All I had to do was read a couple of pages for the story to come back to me. I felt bad that I had forgotten about it for so long, that I hadn’t talked about this book when people inevitably asked me for book recommendations.

Ramchand is a 26-year-old shop assistant at Sevak Sari House in Amritsar, India. He spends most of his days showing saris to women who come to the shop. There are posh women from rich families who like to be treated well and giggling girls who like expensive silk saris but can only afford cotton ones. There is a certain rhythm to his days and Ramchand likes it, despite knowing he could never afford the lavish lifestyle of his customers.

Then, one day, he is sent to show some saris to a wealthy family. They are preparing for their daughter’s wedding. This incident jostles him from his reality and he wants another shot at reliving his childhood dreams. To start with, Ramchand tries to find a purpose by fulfilling his dead father’s dream which is to improve his prospects by learning English. He spends a major portion of his earnings on the Oxford English Dictionary, The Complete Letter Writer, and Pocket Science for Children, among other random titles.

His efforts with English mean he can finally pick up fragments of conversation among his wealthy customers. The things they say aren’t always nice and he can’t make much sense of things when they talk about politics and other worldly affairs. You could say Ramchand’s efforts disrupt his peaceful existence and make him realize that life can be a lot harsher than he imagined.

The simple story is dotted with events that make you think about social hierarchy and society’s obsession with wealth. Through the varied characters—the crass Mrs Sandhu, the educated but improper Mrs Sachdeva, and the young and hip Rina and Tina Kapoor—Bajwa paints a picture of upper-class India and the growing chasm between the haves and the have-nots. There is a lot of sarcasm and a fair bit of humor too. But the story is in no way pretentious. Nothing dramatic ever happens. The Sari Shop is a social commentary where the ugly truths of life are brought under a glaring spotlight.

Fiction

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/9409  

The Sari Shop

Rupa Bajwa

Published: 2004

Publisher: Penguin Books

Pages: 240, Paperback