Supriya's Banter
Mom in the City
Author: Kausalya Saptharishi
Publisher: Random House India (2 September 2013)
Language: English
Paperback: 344 pages
What happens when a playschool turns into a war zone, where battle lines are drawn, loyalties are pledged, allies are aligned, and promised threats are carried out? Not in your face. But with unbecoming sly and cunning that, though, never matches your carefully cultivated public image, is your actual personality.
There is no dearth of such women, you realise, as you flip the pages of the book. Most hide behind a mask. Others project a publicly admired, yet false and fabricated, version of themselves. Yet, there are many dealing with issues that cut deep, but not in their worst nightmare will they discuss those with so-called best friends and well-wishers.
Set in the polished, upscale neighbourhood of Lutyens’ Delhi, the novel pivots around Bumblebees Play School, where image, connections, and whispered judgment are ten-a-penny. The verdict on a specific child or a parent runs as deep as the mulch in the surrounding pristine gardens.
Ira, a divorced working mom and senior editor at a Delhi publishing house, finds herself thrust among social butterflies when she enrols her toddler son, Abhi, in a prestigious playschool. Contrary to her belief, she discovers that her world is not overrun with strollers, sippy cups, or playdates. Instead, coffee meets, designer clothes, foreign holidays, and subtle yet unmistakable name-dropping jostle for her undivided attention.
Mingling with the fashion-obsessed, status-driven, competitive, size-conscious crowd heightens Ira’s self-doubt and insecurities. So much so that she lies to gain acceptance, approval and even admiration from the snobbish, self-obsessed women.
As expected, the lie spirals her into a whirlpool of worries and emotional chaos.
Though she is extricated just in time through a lucky intervention, she realises the futility of the entire exercise. The moment empowers her to notice the carefully camouflaged cracks in the lives of women she was so eager to impress.
The characters are well etched. In a social minefield brimming with quiet competitors to outright status queens, Priya (Ira’s best friend), Abhi (her young son), and Vasu (an old-but-rekindled flame) become Ira’s oasis of calm and sanity.
Sapharishi taps into Delhi’s upper crust through a crisp, insider tone. Themes like single parenting, social pressure, working motherhood, and small-town prejudice are spun into relatable drama without undue emphasis. The witty observations, intimate emotions, mom guilt and anxieties bring relatability and familiarity.
Mom in the City is a light-hearted and insightful exploration of single motherhood in modern Delhi. This slice of mom life is as much a peek into the struggles of single parenting as it is into Delhi’s privileged mom circles.
A breezy yet thoughtful tale of love, lies, and finding your place in a world, no matter how small or imperfect you think it is.
It’s a wonderful blend of wit, warmth, and social satire—a perfect read for a cosy weekend.
