The first book we read as an adult will always have a special place in our hearts. Reading childhood stories with cartoon and imaginary characters with super powers and imaginary situations and then slowly starting to read fictional novels with emotions, relationships and connecting with real life struggles marks as a big shift in reading. For me the big shift happened with the novel “2 states” by Chetan Bhagat. It was my first book I read as an adult and it introduced me to the emotion of love, family and cultural differences that happen in love. More than a novel, 2 states left a lasting impact on my emotions and shaped my reading journey.
How I came to know about 2 states:
There will be always a craze for Chetan Bhagat’s novel among the fictional book readers. It’s because of his simple writing and making the characters easily connect with the readers and engaging narration. That craze and the excitement made me to read his novel “2 States”, without knowing that this book will influence my reading habits.
At that time I was not a fan of romance book reader. I have read comics and moral short stories, but 2 states was my first read that I felt quite different but which I was not just a story but a lifetime experience. The book showed me a different dimension of love. It taught me that love wasn’t just about two people but about families, traditions, and the challenges that come with it. It portrayed love in such a realistic and more relatable way.
The Story of 2 States:
2 states is an inspired story from its author Chetan Bhagat’s love story. The story follows Krish Malhotra, a Punjabi boy and Ananya Swaminathan, a Tamil Brahmin girl, who met at IIM and fall in love. Starting of their relationship everything was so dreamy and perfect without any flaw and conflicts. After completing the college and placing in campus interviews, they decide to get married where their new chapter begins. After their major decision, they start their mission ofs their conservative families to accept their relationship and seek their acceptance to their marriage.
The novel takes the readers along with their journey of struggle while impressing their each other’s parents to dealing with emotional hurdle. Krish initially faces rejection from Ananya’s traditional south Indian family and later with his efforts he gets acceptance. While on the other hand Ananya struggles to handle Arjun’s loud and dominant Punjabi family and with her intelligence and efforts she impresses Arjun’s family. After winning each other’s families acceptance, they finally make their parents meet which ends up in a big disappointment and chaos. Despite their love for each other Ananya and Krish finds themselves stuck between their families cultural expectations. As per the say “Love wins at the last” Ananya and Krish’s love for each other finds its way to reunite and finally they get married with their family’s love and acceptance.
What makes 2 states stand out from other novel is its entertaining yet insightful take on inter-state relationships in India. Bhagat uses lighthearted storytelling to address serious issues and makes the readers to take the book in an entertaining way as well as to think. The 2 states book story is filled with the more relatable moments like love, family’s chaotic meetings, and cultural clashes and more importantly feeling forced to fit into society’s expectation all of which makes the book deeply engaging.
From Book to Big Screen: The 2 States Movie Adaptation
The Success of 2 states as a novel led it to its Bollywood adaptation in 2014. The movie had the same title “2 States”, starring Arjun kapoor as Krish and Alia Bhatt as Ananya. The film followed the same story line of the book and capturing all the emotions and love of the couple.
Watching the movie after reading the book gave me a visual representation of the book. The film and actors gave the justice to the book and its writer by portraying the exact emotions, cultural differences and emotional struggles. While some parts of the movie were improvised for its cinematic feel, the essence of the movie remained the same. The performances of Arjun kapoor as Arjun and Alia Bhatt as Ananya gave life to the characters and their on-screen chemistry elevated the visualization.
However, as the book to the movie adaptation, there were some slight differences. Some sub plots were altered according to the runtime, some characters were not developed than they were in the book. Despite its changes, the soul of the movie remained as same as the book and managed to retain the charm and humor that 2 states book made.
The Emotional Connection: Why 2 States Left a Mark on Me
One of the reasons 2 states connected with me was its simple portrayal of love and relationship. Unlike fairy-tail romances, this book felt real. Krish and Ananya’s love story connected with the common people and it was not just about dreamy love moments and happy romance, it show cased the emotions about effort , compromise and perseverance.
The book made me realize that love is not just about two people, its about the two families who comes closer to join two people who is in love. It made me realize that love just involves only two people, but a marriage involves a family with two mindset and thinking. So Krish and Ananya’s struggle to gain their families support and acceptance to them get married was so much relatable to the couples in India who tries to convince their parents for a love marriage outside their community.
I found myself cheering for Krish and Ananya, I felt their frustration, Joy and disappointment as they navigated their relationship. The emotions in the book 2 states felt raw and genuine, making it impossible to put the book down. It was the first time a book made me laugh, cry and know about the consequences of convincing a family for a love marriage, which was something new for me as an adult.
How 2 States Inspired Me to Read More Novels
Before 2 states, I had never been passionate about reading novels. But after finishing reading the book, I realized the power of storytelling. It was my first book read as an adult that made me realize that, books are not about just words and story, they were the experiences that could bring you different worlds and perspective to your comfort place.
After 2 states, I was eager to explore other fictional novels. I started reading novels of the authors Ravinder singh, Preeti shenoy and others who also wrote about romance and relationship in very relatable way. Each book I read gave me new perspective and ideology about emotions, storytelling and writing styles and further it provoked my interest in reading books.
Moreover, 2 states made me to appreciate the art of storytelling. Chetan Bhagat’s simple and engaging writing style showed me that a story doesn’t have to be over complex to be impactful. This thinking and realization made me to explore more fictional and realistic books to read and it made me to explore my writing and it helped me to place my interest in storytelling and creative exploration.
Would I Read 2 States Again?
Would I read 2 states again? The answer is Yes and No.
Yes, because 2 states is the first book I read as an adult, so it will always be a special book for me. This book shaped my reading knowledge and the understanding of good story telling. It made me to connect deeply with the characters. If I ever wanted to read that book, it will bring me nostalgia, and I will read it again happily.
However, as a reader my taste of reading has evolved a lot. I have since explored a wide range of literature from classic novels to more complicated literatures. While I still appreciate 2 states, but I now seek books with more character development and richer storytelling.
At the same time, 2 states will always remain a special book in my reading history since it was the first book I read as an adult. It was the book that introduced me to the fantasy world with the raw emotions of love, struggle and happy ending. And it made me fall love with reading and storytelling. For all those reasons, it will always hold a special place in my heart as well as my book shelf.
Final Thoughts: The Book That Started It All
2 states was more than just a novel, it was a starting point of my reading journey that introduced me to the world of adult fiction. It shaped my reading abilities and my perspective of love and relationships and it inspired me to read more. As my first adult read, it set the foundation for my love for reading and story telling.
Even my taste for literature has evolved a lot into different genres, I will always be great full for 2 states. It was the book that made me laugh, cry and think and it was the book that made me realize the magic of words.
If you haven’t read 2 states, I would definitely recommend to give a try once. Whether you’re looking for a light hearted romance or a story with cultural insights, this book will fulfill your expectations. And who knows, it might become a special read for you too.