Chetan Bhagat’s the 3 mistakes of my life
Like his other novels, Bhagat’s 3 Mistakes is also based on real events. Bhagat caters to the Indian taste by packing in a lot of masala – cricket, business, politics, religion, love and calamities like the earthquake and the Godhara riots. But as in his other novels, intensity is missing in this one too. After reading the novel we keep it back on the shelf – the characters or situations do not stay with us for long.
The novel is about three young friends in Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Govind, Ish and Omi. Govind is the entrepreneur in the group and motivates the others to set up a cricket shop. The shop gradually gains popularity and Govind dreams of expanding business. He wants to move to a new city location. They save, borrow and invest money in a new shopping mall under construction. But their dreams come crashing down with the earthquake. They are shaken up especially Govind but somehow carry on with their lives. Govind teaches maths to Ish’s sister Vidya, Ish finds solace in coaching a muslim boy, Ali, who has exceptional abilities in batting and Omi dabbles with religion and politics in the shadow of his maternal uncle Bittoo mama. Life goes on till Gujarat is hit by the Godhara riots. Omi dies while trying to save Ali, the trust between Ish and Govind is broken when Ish finds about Govind’s affair with his sister Vidya.
From here on life becomes a burden for Govind. And when he is no longer able to bear his friend’s silence and rejection, he pops sleeping pills. It is here that Chetan Bhagat , the writer appears on the scene to set things right. Read the novel to find more.