About the author: Sadiqa Peerbhoy is a literature graduate from Elphinstone College, Mumbai, Sadiqa Peerbhoy did an MA in Journalism and a post graduate course in Creative Writing from The New School, New York. She has been an advertising professional all her working life and the creative force behind many a brand launch and its continuing success. Sadiqa started freelancing to maintain her sanity in a high-stress job and has since written and published several hundred short stories in leading magazines and Sunday papers. She has been a columnist for Deccan Herald, Newstime, Midday, The Brief, and the Times of India, Bangalore. Her long-running, topical humour column, Swalpa Connect Maadi in Deccan Herald has a devoted following in Bangalore. She has scripted two popular serials for national television: Honee Anhonee and Sara Jahan Hamara. She has also written documentary scripts for BBC World. Two of her short story collections have been published. Her third book, ‘But Other Mothers Do’, is a hilarious take on the trials and tribulations of a young working mother. Adding further to her eminent record of versatility, Sadiqa has set up and run a British affiliated college in India for specialised studies in advertising, marketing and graphic design: The Wigan & Leigh College in Bangalore. Her academic pursuits also include a visiting lecturership on Creativity and Advertising at IIM Bangalore, Chitra Kala Parishat and several other colleges. Moreover, as Managing Director of Innergy Skills, a training and placement company, Sadiqa conducts Creativity Workshops for Corporates like HP, ABB among others. She is the mother of two children and a passionate student of Hindustani music. This is her first foray into full length fiction.

Riaz: The NRI son and only child of Sartaj. A typical son who came to visit his parents only once in eight years. He is the stud in Manhattan where ladies throw themselves at him. He has a drummer in him who starts drumming in all situations. Strangely he falls in and out of love pretty fast. Of course the degrees of his love are different for different women.

Dilawar: The cousin and friend of Riaz and also his partner in crime. However, he is easily bribed by Sartaj with her delicious halwato help in tricking Riaz to come home.

Sana: The first prospective bride for Riaz who has her own story. She is a headstrong, liberal minded and confident woman.

Dr. Meera:  The final bride. Turns out to be Riaz’s dreamgirl.

• “To take a broom to its walls and ceilings would be to destroy the ancestral homes of a million spiders and render hundreds of the darting lizards homeless refugees.” 
• “May God wreak his devastation on jobs which separate mothers from their children..”
• “…in the tone she might have used to address a mentally challenged cockroach who had mistaken the dish-wash bar for ice-cream.”
• “….which side his parantha is ghee’d on.”

The book is fully of humorous similes. Here are a couple of them:

• “The continuing litany…..was bruising…like a coconut scrapper….”
• “…..with her bottoms like two large restless cats in a tight bag.”
• “…..hissed like a aerosol deo spray “
• “…juddered like an old car in the wrong gear.

The story goes on fine, making you laugh even in sad situations. The crazy relatives, the greedy matchmaker, the families showing off, scandals…everyone and everything has a good comic timing. But the story takes an unexpected twist on the 176th page when the final bride makes her entry. I felt this twist was unnecessary. Sana and Meera could have been the same girl. Riaz could have pursued Sana and she could have been his dream girl with the beautiful green eyes. Strangely his description  of his dream girl comes at the end and after he sees Meera. Also the ending with the deceased Naana and Naani watching from their celestial abode could have been done without.