Chetan Bhagat is turning into one of India’s finest story tellers. He knows how to keep the audience interested and how to build the plot. Testimony to this is his debut "Five Point Someone" and his 3rd book "The 3 mistakes of my life".Dont make the mistake of missing this book or thinking that the author is revealing his weaker side. The title and the story is cleverly weaved to generate interest.
The story starts off an in interesting note when the author himself receives an email stating that the sender is about to commit suicide. Govind, with whom the story starts & end, is about to give up his life and wants to share his agony with someone.
Not wanting to disturb Chetan too much, he just writes that he is committing suicide and he wished to share it with someone and signs off by wishing Chetan to "have a nice day". Stunned by the Sunday morning bee, Chetan contacts his ex-IIMA prof in Ahmedabad and pours out his fears.
Yes, Ahmedabad in Gujarat is the setting of this enjoyable tale where the author tracks down the life, joys and sorrows of Govind, Ishaan & Omi. The three are childhood chums who have done everything together from their childhood. Cricket and food is their common passion. Being grown ups, Govind is professional in how he wants to run a business with his pals.
Ish is a dreamer who has dropped out of NDA, for which his comments "why dont you cut a cake celebrating one year of your uselessness". Omi is a yes-sayer for anything that Ish says. Govind’s character is built up well to show his sturdiness in this big bad world. Having lost his father to another woman’s charms, Govind lives his life practically.
He warms up his friends with the idea of opening up a shop to sell Cricket Merchandise. Hmmm...not a bad idea at all in this cricket crazy nation and with a name like "Team India Cricket Shop" what can stop you. While Ish is ready to do anything to avoid more of his father’s curses, Omi as usual nods his head. They open up the shop in a temple premises whose caretaker is Omi’s dad. This is one of Govind’s masterstroke where they save loads on rentals.
The interest picks up pace from here as we are made aware of how the trio pick up their business, how the earthquake puts a stop to their expansion plans, how Ish coaches a young local lad named Ali with batting tips, how the trio get entangled within the religious malice, how Govind’s love interest develops with Ish’s sister Vidya and so on.
In all these "How’s" lies the 3 mistakes which Govind commits along the way. Chetan has stiched together all the sub plots very well and the book holds the interest to read it in a single sitting. Amidst all this, some situations seem very far fetched like how the trio manage to take Ali to test his prodigal batting skills against the Aussie team in Goa, and how they travel to the Oz land to have Ali trained.
Apart from the small glitch rest all is thoroughly enjoyable. Read the book for the sheer pleasure of the events unfolded and Chetan’s gift on impeccable story telling sprinkled with generous doses of humour.