Sept Date for Biz Book Sequel

The Telegraph newspaper used to offer a full page of cartoons. That made it an instant hit with all of us in the Hostel. Recently ANTARA BOSE of the newspaper spoke to me about the launch plans of Married But Available. Here is the article from the 31st July 2008 Jamshedpur edition of The Telegraph.

“XLRI alumnus Abhijit Bhaduri is ready with his second book that will hit the stores sometime in September. Abhijit’s first book Mediocre But Arrogant (2005) was a bestseller and he may hit the jackpot again with Married But Available (2008).

The book is a sequel to the first one, that ended with the main protagonist, Abbey, and his mates in management studies getting placements. Abbey gets through the firm, Balwanpur Industries.

The sequel starts with an alumni meet of students of a premier management school, where Abbey talks of his life at Balwanpur Industries.

Married But Available deals with the trails and tribulations of the first 10 years of Abbey’s corporate life, where he is left struggling between his personal agendas and professional issues. Abbey’s situation is doubly hard as he is the first MBA from a premier institute to work in the fictitous Balwanpur Industries.

A graduate in economics from Delhi University, Abhijit came to XLRI to study personnel management in industrial relations in 1984.

“Lately, there have been many books published by B-school pass outs. Most deal with campus experiences. I thought of taking it a step further and writing about the corporate world beyond the classroom. Writing and sharing experiences is my hobby and I love doing it,” said the Gurgaon-based author to The Telegraph over the phone.

Bhaduri’s books also prove that you can take the student out of the course, but not course out of the student. The abbreviation of both his books happen to be “MBA”, proving that he has not forgotten his “cherished days” in Jamshedpur.

“Jamshedpur has its own charm. Apart from my institution, I like Jubilee Park, Dalma lake where I used to hang out a lot,” he signs off.”

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1. Campus Life in Book Pages from The Telegraph – Friday August 5-2005 "The story of the protagonist Abbey and his friends at the institute is filled with humour and had the audience in splits when Bhaduri read out excerpts from the book, anecdotes about Abbey’s roommate Pappu and his encounter with Ganauri the washerman." The Telegraph...
2. Married But Available – The Synopsis Married But Available follows the life of the protagonist Abbey through the first ten years of his life as a Human Resources professional. The first ten years are arguably the most action packed years of one's life when most people get raises, get their promotions or change jobs, some get married, have kids, get divorced, fall in love and out of it and confront existential dilemmas. This novel looks at the first ten years of Abbey's professional life after his MBA. ...
3. The Asian Age Book Review: Married But Available Nothing is high-brow and there are no pretentions to the same. But it’s a world well-sketched, well-peopled and one that has its share of action and drama. The narrative, in first person, flows unhindered and natural through the 270 pages of the book. Bhaduri moves in time, narrating most of the story from past. Though written about a generation that would be already past its prime by now, it hardly looks out of touch with the aspirations of the young and the daring....