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This is neither the first time nor the last time that I was reading a story based on the interesting professional arena called advertising. But, it was definitely the first where the characters seemed a lot more familiar. This caused a constant tussle between my real life perception of the characters and the way they have been portrayed in the story. I knew the environment the story was set in. I have worked in that office. Yet I did not really recognise the protagonist, which anyway is only part real. The author; IPOMEA CHAUDHARY and I worked in the same organisation, unfortunately we have never worked together.
IPOMEA CHAUDHARY
‘Conviction of Absoluteness’ is a story of a young advertising professional fighting the unanswered questions that surrounds her in work, social life and home. There is that often-quoted job pressure and the peers piercing involvement invading your privacy and space, so true of such close working environment where opinions are supposed to be your currency of success. It is natural for peer pressure and some daring episodes to make their customary appearances. In this regard Ipomea remains true to the brief.
The protagonist has her own mind and impressions of how the transition should be. There is a high need for individuality and the urge to rebel yet accommodate. It becomes interesting as this advertising professional is a female and belongs to a middle class conservative family with highly traditional roots. WOW the setting is complete for the conflicts and adventure. Gender biases cannot be wished away. It is a world where you are stereotyped and branded much before you make your appearance. Where everything is black and white with no space for greys. Or is that true!
Grey’s exist. To realise their power one must experience them. The freedom she enjoys emerging from college environment to now an independent working female is offset by peer evaluation, the task of merging in the crowd, the pressure of being like everyone and yet stand differentiated. Where you could do anything and yet not be evaluated and do nothing and immediately be branded. It is not so complex world. Here too are the dream chasers, in love with their ambition. Here too sometime dreams do get realised. If this chaos was not enough, on the parallel track is her mother on a groom chase in a hurry to get her married. She is defensive in her act but very persuasive by nature. How our lady in the story acts, defends and plays inert to these pushy moments makes a decent enough read.
Advertising does not come out of it’s stereotyped image in ‘Conviction of absoluteness’. It is stressed within the boundaries of work pressure, patronising bosses, killing client, love affairs, evening parties, drinks and more work. While Ipomea manages to deliver a smooth tale, I fault her in not exploring something more. Possibilities existed.
There is a bit of teasing lovemaking that predictably creeps unannounced on the reader. She does well enough to hold back and not allowing it an unjustified space and focus. After all, the brief said traditional protagonist not revolting discovery of greys.
It is a story well told, when you consider this is her first novel. Ipomea straddles the tough task of borrowing from own experiences and then colouring them with a brush of imagination rendering them unidentifiable. There are some sudden jerks in narration. At times it looked as if some paragraph went for a walk with the editor and never returned. Few placed the loud shout of a new discovery in character has been denied a new chapter. Maybe that is her way of letting your imagination fill the blanks, which I must agree, it does. Even after these, it does not take you long before you fall back and start enjoying the very rhythmically moving story.
Go enjoy the grade 2 rapid called ‘Conviction of Absoluteness’. It starts with a promise and gets you ready for many twist and turns and enough falls and jerks to startle you. At the end you are left with a feeling that the drama ended a bit soon or someone held something back as suddenly you are left at the placid almost serene end.
Overall – go ahead and read it. If you been in advertising or have ever been part of that Indian agency in Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi that later shifted to Okhla Industrial Estate, you will enjoy it a lot more.
DISCLAIMER: The author is a friend of mine and she had sent the novel to me for reading and review.
Get your copy at AMAZON or INFIBEAM
CONVICTIONS OF ABSOLUTENESS. Ipomea Chaudhary. CINNAMONTEAL. INR 250. Pages 183.
