Supriya's Banter
Burps, Chirps & Cat-Astrophic Turfs
Author: Sonal Singh
Publisher: Readomania
I believe writing humour is incredibly difficult. You not only have to have sufficient knack to tickle the reader’s fancy, which could be highly subjective, but you also have to have perfect timing. Not to mention flawless pacing, all while moving the story forward.
Burps, Chirps & Cat-Astrophic Turfs showcases Sonal Singh’s prowess as a humour writer. She scores on all points, but not without injecting a generous dose of emotion into the narrative. She has her hands full—there are big personalities involved (both human and non-human)—volatile and temperamental, but Singh handles them with ease. There are twists and turns galore. Singh paints them in bold strokes by blending comedy into the plot, dialogue, and narrative voice. Under her expertise, the absurd, awkward, ironic, and bizarre neighbourhood becomes funny. The plot tension and internal dilemmas become dramatic irony with a touch of quirk. And before you know it, the serious work of saving a life becomes almost lyrical, colourful, sensory and immensely enjoyable.
The tone of the book is set from the very beginning. The vivid sensory world, populated with a cast of eccentric characters, is endearing from the word go. Add Singh’s gently comic and lushly imaginative writing style to it, and it couldn’t get more delicious.
At the centre of the plot is a whimsical, one-of-a-kind Choudhary household, spearheaded by Mamta Choudhary, a woman blessed with a special trait. She is morally obligated to save all animal kind, and just by being in your proximity inspires/obligates you to do the same. And so the entire Choudhary clan- the no-nonsense, tough-exterior-warm-inside husband, cheeky twins, plus the fashion-forward English-speaking maid end up as special saviours to the animal world. Mamata runs a household comprising opinionated cats, a nosy parrot, a goofy dog, lizards with a penchant for bungee jumping from ceilings, tortoises, fish and the like.
Chaos storms the Choudhary household when Mamata opens the door to her house and her heart to a tiny bird of unknown breed and origin. The bird is tiny, fragile and sinking fast. But our Desi Dolittle is not bogged down by such minor troubles. Armed with the superpowers of forcing Google to cough up research papers from the depths of its being, along with expertise in cooking and nursing care, Mrs Chaudhary personifies the idea that nothing is impossible if one sets their heart to it. Her theatrical gestures, emotional antics, and the will to push herself for loved ones, both human and non-human, make her charming and adorable. Mrs. Choudhary is cheerful, easily going but strong-willed. She is flawed, and that makes her so relatable. Failures are just another bump in the road, but she cries and whines about them, throws a humongous fit and melts down before picking herself back up again.
Riding with her through her highs and lows makes the book a delight to read. Along with Mrs Chaudhury, I discovered unadulterated love, unbridled love and gratitude for the things that seem small but matter most.
The supporting cast is absolutely delightful. The quirky pets with their equally quirky names—Bholuram, Popat, Happy, Bijli, Jhumki and so on—pull you into the fold easily. So much so that you find yourself part of their world, their home, that Mr Choudhary aptly calls “The Zoo.”
Interwoven with the laughs are tender moments tinged with deep emotion and genuine affection.
Funny, heartfelt, and brimming with life, the book is a joyful celebration of the beautiful chaos that comes with loving deeply. And not giving up, no matter how impossible the journey seems!
