A friend saw one of author Chetan Bhagat’s books in my bag and exclaimed in horror. Her dismay were somewhat allayed when I told her I had it for a review. This exchange was noteworthy. I have always been a champion of popular literature, partly because I think such writers deserve a chance and partly because I mostly enjoy reading them. Yet, I felt the need to explain the presence of Half Girlfriend in my bag and save some face.
Before the book was released, an excerpt was available online. It spoke of a Bihari boy who spoke to his sophisticated “girlfriend”, Riya, thus: “Deti hai toh de varna kat le”. Bhagat, through the character of Madhav who spoke the words, generously offers translations of this phrase in English. He eventually settles for “f* me or f* off”, which, by his own admission, still sounds better than the Hindi phrase.