CHAPTER – II

In Two States: The story of my Marriage, Chetan Bhagat deals with

complex human relationships and how the lovers of two states totally
different from their traditions, cultures, customs and how they made an extra
effort to turn their dream into reality. This paper deals with the concept of
multi culturalism as presented by Chetan Bhagat in Two States: The story of
My Marriage. The various characters and incident depicted in the novel
gives us a clear picture about the diverse culture and tradition prevailing in
India. Through their novel Chetan Bhagat has tried to show the limitations
of current Indian society.

Culture in today’s world are largely shaped by religious belief

systems, political and social or economical systems and that is why culture
seems to be almost inflexible in the roots as seen in rigid religious structure
of society although the changing culture patterns manifested in political and
economic systems. The intracultural and inter cultural patterns of behaviour
recognize the Universal elements in human cognition, emotion and
perception. The couple Krish and Ananya coming from two different states
in India and thus they face hardships in convincing their parents for the
acceptance of their marriage, because of generation gap, communication gap
and cultural gap.

The novel Two States deals with the cross cultural encounters
complimenting the different experiences and imbibes them meaningfully. As
rose symbolizes beauty, the soldier symbolize nation, the title of any work
should symbolize its theme. Chetan Bhagat two states the title by itself
showcases axis people of the two states coming into convergence. A simple
but realistic novel, brilliantly explores the encounter of two states, Punjabi
and Tamil Nadu. All is well, in love and war said Shakespeare. The merging
of two souls in the name of love. There is blending of two cultures, religion,
languages, traditions and practices. Two states is divided into five acts,
being set in the cities of Ahmedabad, Delhi, Chennai and Goa. It starts of
with the main character Krish in dire straits, hounded from all sides his
Punjabi family, his girlfriend and her South Indian (Tamil Brahmin) family.
Chetan Bhagat in Two States the story of my marriage deals with a very
serious theme of cross culture, tradition and multi culture allow in a light
way. This novel definitely gives us the cultural shocks.

Chetan Bhagat has touched some of the sensitive issues of cultural

differences, father – son relationship and a lover – beloved relationship,
corporate exploitation and two different cultures. He is the view that love
knows no boundaries, whether it be of caste, creed, religion, state or country.
Two states, it is a story of inter state marriage in India.

Multi culturalism is a study of multiple (two or more) cultures. Two

states is a love story of a Punjabi guy Krish and a tamil Brahmin girl
Ananya in her own style. Many families goes through this condition in India.
The novel deals with a complex human relationship. It portrays how the
cultural difference can create problem in the matrimonial alliances and how
hard the couple has to fight against the destiny to be in the wed – lock. Krish
and Ananya have to make an extra effort to turn their dream into reality.
Shakespeare once said that the path of true love never runs smooth and this
very true in the case of Krish and Ananya. Basically cross culture tries to
bring together such relatively, unrelated areas such as cultural anthropology
which mean social and cultural similarities and differences.
 The main focus is about cultural change. It argues that culture is
“Human Nature”. They believe that the human beings acquire culture
through learning about people and their different places or different
circumstances which may develop multiculture. In Two States culture
anthropology reveals about cultural differences of North Indian families and
South Indian families which portrayed in a funny way.

The story is about how to convince their parents for interstate

marriage in India. Two states as the name suggests, it is not about two states
in India.

The plot is about two protagonists Krish from Delhi and Ananya from
Chennai at IIM Ahmedabad and they are classmates. The story starts in the
college canteen. The first few pages reveal about campus life of IIM
Ahmedabad where Krish sees Ananya and falls in love with her at the first
sight. She is real traffics stopper but Ananya wants to be just a friend with
Krish. He wonders why any boy can just be a friend with any girl. He says

“Why would any guy want to be only friends with a girl? It’s like
agreeing to be near a chocolate cake and never eat it. It is like sitting in a
racing car but not driving it. Only wimps do that” (2 states 9)

Ananya is a bold girl. She dares to oppose the mess contractor

because he provides bad quality of food to all the students at that time Krish
offers her his help and takes her to a restaurant. The friendship between both
of them start meeting frequently. Krish proposes to her and she does not
deny. They start to live in the same room and take liberty with each other
which the Indian society is not. They costumed to Krish says, “You put a
boy and a girl in a room for a week and add a lots of boring books, and
sparks are sure to fly” (2 states, 26). As it happens in college life they start
messaging each other and start hanging out. Time passes by very speedily
and now it is the time of placement. Both of them are offered good jobs.

Both the lovers with intensions to get their families familiar with
decide to invite their parents for the convocation ceremony as it is very
necessary in India that parents must approve their love relationship. Here
both families mixing up two cultures. Here they are introduced with Krish’s
mother and Ananya’s parents. Krish’s father does not come for it because
the relationship of Krish with his father is very tense. The light friction
between Ananya’s mother and Krish’s mother get started in the ceremony
itself and the dream of the lovers to get married shatters. There came a twist
in the tale is, they want to marry with their parents’ consent rather than
choosing the easy way of eloping.

Intercaste marriages are still a taboo in India and let alone a interstates
marriages of a Punjabi and Tamilian Brahmin. Love blossoms and by the
time they have decided to get married to each other. They hurdles seem
insure mountable in the begging – jarring differences between their parents,
their culture and the language barrier being the reasons, Krish gets himself
posted in City Bank, Chennai where Ananya is working with HLL and sets
the ball rolling. After the placement, Krish’s mother wants him to late up a
job in Delhi and wants him to marry a girl of her choice, she says that she
can show him Punjabi girls as fair as milk. But Krish takes up a job in
Chennai as Ananya has also accepted job in Chennai. Here Krish has to
suffer a lot because of working in a new environment and hostel
circumstances.
 They parents look for a perfect match for their children. In the best of
times they are outwardly modern but inwardly they still live in the past. Set
against the backdrop of an educational institution. This time IIM, the author
has recited a love story on the “North – South Divide”, correctly in the
markets. High lighting the two different cultural diversities, Chetan Bhagat
assures the fact that it is possible. Krish and Ananya met in the canteen for
the first time and eventually over a few days of combined study, fell in love.
Life is great for them until their families meet each other. It takes some time
before they realize that they may not be able to convince their families to
support their marriage.

They have diversities in their languages Tamil and Punjabi, customs,

rituals description of Punjabi marriage rituals in Duke and Minti’s marriage
and Tamil rituals in Krish and Ananya’s marriage. The elders are not
conservative but actually they are preventive in their point of view. A
wedding in India is a complex affair that involves more than just the bride
and groom. It includes every member of both the families. Chetan Bhagat’s
Two States is the author’s personal account of the challenges that he and his
wife faced in convincing their parents to agree to their love marriage. The
novel is a hilarious take on the complications that arise with in Indian
families, especially when youngsters from diverse back grounds fall in love
and decide to tie the knot. To be happily married they have to persuade their
parents for this.

Krish must figure out a way to fit into a traditional South Indian
household and Ananya must try and compete with her Punjabi counterparts.
Bhagat utilizes the common stereotypes we all are familiar with be it the
stress in the Punjabi household for marrying a girl with a big dowry, of the
importance given to education and a success in a South Indian household.
The girl is only slightly better she is unable to see how insulting her own
parents are and refuses to say a word against them. She doesn’t want to
marry anyone else, but still allows her parents to fix up meeting with other
men. It is not only just to the guy she is in love with; it is also unfair to the
men who come to see her. In the midst of all this we come to know that there
was a break in their relationship due to their parents. They come to know the
reason of the tense relationship of Krish with his father when Krish visits
Shri Aurobindo Ashram. He meets the guru and tries to seek his help for his
restlessness in love.

Krish in meditation bring before us an incident that happen three years

ago, He says when he was in IIT Delhil ; he had an affair with his
professor’s daughter. The girl’s father is against their love relationship and
he is senting his daughter abroad. Krish wanted his father to go to the
professor and set the situation right but instead of taking his side he started
to scold his mother and also hit her in front of him, which he often did with
her. Here Krish lost his temper and fought with his father. Krish says,

“I slapped his face once, twice, then I rolled my hand into a fist
and punched his face. My father went into a state of shock, he
couldn’t fight back. He didn’t expect this; all my childhood I’d merely
suffered his dominance. Today, it wasn’t just about the broken glass.
It wasn’t only that girl loved would be gone. It was a reaction to two
decades of abuse” (2 states, 167)

This shows Krish’s multi-disciplinary action in his life, Krish didn’t

lose hope and carries on his desperate attempts to win the love of Ananya’s
family members. At first he helps Ananya’s mother to present herself at a
concert, organized by his own bank. Krish tries to convince his girlfriend
Ananya’s parents and atlast and convinces her mom by asking her to sing in
a concert organized by Krish’s office. She is convinced as she had her
biggest dream of singing in a big concert comes to be true. To make her
dream to be true Krish arranged a dinner party exclusively for Ananya’s
family. Here they propose to accept him as their son – in – law. The
emotional appeal is really heart touching

“I, Krish Malhotra, would like to propose to all of you. Will all
of you marry me? (2 States, 183).

He finally is the consent of all the members of Ananya’s family. Now

comes the turn of Ananya to win the love Krish’s family members. Then
they tried to convince Krish mother. The problem was Krish’s mother’s
relatives who do not quite like this, they say that should not marry a madrasi
but end up agreeing with them when Ananya tries to help one of Krish’s
cousins to get married. Ananya act as fatalist in that marriage due to a
problem in the marriage. No one likes her at first when she entered into the
family. But first she convinces Krish’s father who acts like a patriarchal
man. After that slowly with lot of hurdles she convince Krish’s mother and
eventually they both get into good relationship. Thus, she is taken to Krish’s
cousin’s marriage unfortunately there came a problem in the marriage, due
to that people where in the marriage were tensed at that time Ananya solved
the marriage, in a soft way at that time she became fatalist which means
people are accepted as inevitable, rather preventable and solvable because of
that she succeeds.
 Ananya also wins the heart of Krish’s family but about the families
union and Krish arranges a meeting of the two families in Goa, but there are
also Krish’s mother verbly explodes and the relationship of Krish and
Ananya is in jeopardy. Ananya decides to break of Krish and Krish tries his
best to convince Ananya that everything can be fixed up again but Ananya
has no affection for him at that time Krish’s “bad father who is a fatalism”
comes to his rescue and goes to Chennai and convince Ananya’s family
without Krish’s knowledge because now he does not want to miss the
opportunity of helping his son. He missed the opportunity for once and still
he pays a heavy price for that. When Krish get a call from Ananya, he as
very much surprised, and wants to hug his father. Father – Son relationship
is always incredible.

Two States has a serious off some hilarious moments and instances
that bring out the idiosyncrasies and dogm as practised by the two states.
Also there are instances which would draw the thoughts of the reader to the
notion of being an Indian before a south Indian or a North Indian. In a world,
where borders are getting dissolved slowly with technology and
development, such a thought carries of weight and in a country like India
which has many India’s in it, the magnitude of such a thought gets
magnified. Through two states, Chetan Bhagat exposes the backward
mentality of Indian, nuances of religious and rigions and how intercaste
marriage are still seen as a social stignna Indian love marriage scenario than
love marriages elsewhere.

The novel is a humorous and witty take on inter community love

marriages in India, citing the numerous awkward situations that both the
couple in love as well as their families has to pass through before their
wedding can be finalized. Chetan Bhagat has written some good funny one
linear about what South Indian and what the latter feel about the former. He
takes a hard dig at the South Indians in particular Tamil Brahmins, their
traditions and their mentality.

He brings out pretty well the contrast between South Indian vs North
Indian cultures and the mutual disdain these two groups have for each other.
The way Chetan Bhagat portrayed the struggle to make his marriages are
success never allows the reader to get his eyes off the book. The culture
difference in North and south India has been scribbled with great
effectiveness. The “longer than life” living style and Punjabi’s and the
mellowed down south indian life style has been put with lot of sincerity.

Tamilians have a great love for knowledge and education while

Punjabi’s are more interested in money and wealth. Marble flooring is to a
Punjabi what a foreign degree is to a Tamilian, south Indians have a love for
rules, and feel safe when there are rules to adhere to. But the north Indians in
general have a disdain for not only rules, but also the law and experience
strange satisfaction is bending them, even breaking them. The elderly south
Indians tend to speak in mono syllables while addressing the not so old and
their great love for newspapers that they read from end to end, is a non-
disputable fact. An Indian society is not liberal for mixed marriages between
different castes, religion or geographic, this book takes us through the love
and opposition from parents and relatives.

The narration is superb, sometimes while reading he will feel like her
a watching a movie, also the book is full of great humour and lastly it also
gives a message to the society that love and marriage is a bonding between
two souls and not about what the society perceives of it. What with the high-
brow culture of south, its love for knowledge, its hatred for showing it off,
its early ways of eating food etc., Krish struggles to be accepted by his
would be in laws. Two states is probably Chetan Bhagat’s best novels so far
and the author has agreed that a lot of what is there in the story is taken from
his own personal experience. The author himself is a Punjabi boy and his
wife Anusha is a Tamilian thus the book in some way is inspired from real
life. People from different cultures often have such radically different world
view and that what seems like common sense to one side is anything but
sensible to the other. Different cultures and world views can lead to
completely different understandings of frames of conflict, making resolution
a challenge.

The book is very humorous and takes a dig at both the Punjabi and the
Tamil community. Most of the book is very realistic; a lot of people can
probably connect to the Indian sentiments they are portrayed in the novel.
The book tries not be preachy and manages to maintain the humour quite
consistently, thus making it a good light read. Finally two families are
reunited again after so many hurdles in their life period. Ananya and Krish
get married to each other. The marriage ceremony held in Tamil style is also
full of comical elements. It is really true that the love marriages around the
world are simple but as mentioned on the back cover of the novel the
scenario is totally different when it comes to India.

“Love marriages around the world are simple: boy loves the
girl. Girl loves boy. They get married. In India, there are a few more
steps; Boy loves girl. Girl loves boy. Girl’s family has to love boy.
Boy’s family has to love girl. Girl’s family has to love boy’s family.
 Boy’s family has to love girl’s family. Girl and boy still love each
other. They get married (2 states, Back cover)

The novel ends with the practical station, better communication,

young generation’s initiative and lastly the elders support finally it
concludes with how Krish and Ananya the representatives of new generation
paved the way, to get married and to unite their families despite of all the
adversities they travelled through inevitably.

The New Britannia Encyclopedia (2007 : 872) underlines the

importance of marriage rituals and ceremonies as:

“(they) surrounding marriage in most culture are associate

primarily with fecundity and validate the importance of marriage for
the continuation of a clan, people or society. They assert a familical or
communal sanction of the mutual choice and understanding of the
difficulties and sacrifices involved in making what is considered, in
most cases, to be a lifelong commitment to a responsibility for the
welfare of spouse and children” (The New Britannica Encyclopedia
2007: 872)

Chetan Bhagat also demonstrates a fine Punjabi skill of showing off

their wealth as part of an innocent conversation. The story also dwells upon
the relationship of father – son, son – mother, husband – wife, the in – laws,
the typical Punjabi’s born and brought up in Delhi, the staunch Tamil
Brahmins. The rest of the story is all about introspection, juggling personal
and professional life, stealing moments to spend time with each other, and a
strategic effort in convincing parents and make the North – South conception
happen.
 Culture is the centre of society and without culture no society can
even exist. It is the main difference between human beings and animals. It is
a heritage transmitted from one generation to another. It includes all the
ways and behaviors is social life. “Man is born in the environment of
culture, in which he seeks his way of behaving and acting in a given society.
Horton and Hunt definition of culture, “Culture is everything which is
socially shared and learned by the members of a society” Toyler defined “It
is that complex whole including beliefs, art, region, values, norms, ideas,
law, taught, knowledge, customs and other capabilities acquire a man as a
member of a society.”

It is the totally of human experience acquired during transmission of

heritage from one generation to another and to learn the ways of learning,
eating, drinking, behaving, walking, dressing and working is the culture of
man.

Chetan Bhagat brings out the subtitles that exist in the life style and
outlook towards the life of people from different states. As Indian society is
not liberal for mixed marriages between different castes, religion or
geographics, this book takes us through the love and opposition from parents
and relatives. The couple cue from two different states in India and thus they
face hardships in convincing their parents for acceptance of their marriages.
They suffer because of generation gap, communication gap and cultural gap.
Bhagat depicts complex and deeply rooted socio-cultural problems of
multicultural Indian light heartedly. He wants the readers to laugh at their
follies, their prejudices and their wrong doings. He doesn’t attack them
directly, but through fiction he attempts to make them to realize their faults
and gives a chance to rectify their mistakes in their real life.
 Cross cultural communication now the world has entered into an era
of cross cultural communication. Cultures influence and infiltrate one
another willing are not, people must first encounter culture shock when they
migrate from a familiar cultural background to a strange one. In recent years,
International communication has become a common phenomenon because
of the trend of globalization. This makes culture shocks start to be
experience by more people and causes growing concern.

“These stupid biasis and discrimination are the reason our

country is so screwed up. It’s tamil first, Indian later. It has to end
National anthem, National currency, National teams still we won’t
marry our children out side our state. How can this intolerance be
good for our community” (cross culture).

“Actually the choice is simple. When your child decides to love

a new person, you can either see it as a chance to hate some people,
the person they choose and their families. However, you can also see
it as a chance to love some more people and since when did loving
more become a bad thing?” (inter culture)

The text also exposes the characteristic qualities of both the Punjabi’s
and the tamil. The ledness, money mindedness of Punjabis and their
preference of money over intellects is shown in addition to their love for
knowledge and hatred for showing it off, an understanding and passion of
Carnatic music, and off course Rawa Dosa and Sambhar. He compare the
two as “marble flooring is to a Punjabi what a foreign degree is to a
Tamilian.
 “I saw (Chennai). It had the usual Indian elements like autos,
packed public buses, hassled traffic cops and tiny shops that sold
groceries, fruits, utensils, clothes or novelty items. However, it did
feel different first, the sign in every shop was in Tamil. The Tamil for
resembles those optical illusion puzzles that gives you a headache if
you stare at them long enough. Tamil women, all of them, wear
flowers in their hair, Tamil men don’t believe in pants and wear
lungies even in shopping districts. The city is filled with film posters.
The heroes pictures make you feel even your uncles can be movie
stars. The heroes are fat, balding, have thick moustaches and the
heroine next to them is a ravishing beauty” (2 states).

Manifestation of culture of conflict in Chetan Bhagat’s Two states in

the contemporary time, the society witness many hazardous problems
generated due to the cultural conflicts. Today, abundant of incidents where
one can find that battles are fought due to the difference of cultural aspects.
The hullabaloo between American and Islamic countries is one of them. In
India, the same problems are seen between Islam and Jainism. These
problems of cultural dissimilarity play an obvious role in some country like
American, UK and India due to thousands of the migrants residing there.
Here with, through the research, the issue of cultural variation, and how this
variation would human lives, is probed. Apart from this, the exploration also
confirms, how with liberal values of cultures of convenience, the problems
of cultural divergence can be resolved. This research also draws an attention
that, how the moderate quality of culture of convenience brings the global
harmony, with special reference to very popular Indian English novel, Two
States by Chetan Bhagat.
 When the different explores between South India and North India, it is
found differents is primeral which has its roots during when today’s South
Indian were known as Dravidians and North Indians were known as Aryans
from the very beginning, the Aryan had disregarded the Dravidian culture
and gradually conquered the Northern part of India, almost in every bit of
the poles. Both, Punjabi’s and Tamils are thoroughly conflicting. They differ
because of their language, customs, life style, attires etc., Therefore,
different aspects of culture divide this chapter, as cultural conflict is this
novel is located in different facets of their culture. First the very basic
difference is the racial difference. The Punjabis and north Indians are termed
as Aryans and madrasi and the south Indians as Dravidians. In physique as
well, there are many different between the people of the south and North.
The north Indians are taller and strongly built than the south Indians. The
south Indians are a bit darker than the north Indians.

“corporate types love to pretend their life is existing, the

whispers, first – pumping and animated hand gestures are all designed
to life our job description from what is really is that of an over paid
clerk” (2 states)

A big difference can be seen in their dressing styles. Salwar Kamiz is

the widely used dress by North indian women. On the other hand, women in
the south wear saris, while men in north wear salwar, the men in south prefer
dhotis. Another difference that can be seen between North and south India is
their food is spicier. The south Indians use more tamarind and coconut when
compared to north Indians. The north Indians use more dairy products when
compared to the people of the south india. When talking about culture, there
is vast difference between north and south india. One can come across
differences in their music dance forms and folks. Chetan Bhagat in his
masterpiece Two States, he expresses his real life experience of this cultural
divide.

Here is relevance with the definitions given by Pramod Nayar. He

defines cultural studies as:

Cultural studies is interested in the processes by which power

realtions between and within groups of human beings organize cultural
artefacts (such as food habits, music, cinema, sports events and celebrity
culture) and their meanings.

“corporate types love to pretend their life is existing, the

whispers, first – pumping and animated hand gestures are all designed
to life our job description from what is really is that of an over paid
clerk” (2 states)

Therefore, he talks about the power relations in the society

observation of power structure is essential for any cultural studies. However
two states deals with Punjabi culture and tamil. Both the cultures have their
unique reputation in India. Equality of region, religion, language etc., is
described in the constitute of India. Therefore, no culture is powerful in
India. However, the conflicts being when the migrate to other region because
every culture has their unique meanings of each artifact in their own region.
Hence, this is the issue of study.

“Sometimes in your life you just meet someone or hear

something that nudges you on the right path and that becomes the best
advice. It could just be a bit of common sense said in a way that
 resonates with something in you. It’s nothing new, but because it
connect with you it holds meaning for you” (2 states)

Conflict over language; language is the first code or identity of any

culture. As observed by Cris Barker and Bariusz is cultural studies and
discourse analysis, cultural studies has for sometime been a constitution part
of the ‘linguistic turn’ in the humanities and social science with writers
arguing that language is the central means and medium by which they are
understand the world and construct culture.

Therefore, they show and emphasize on linguistic part of society in

the construction of its culture. This statement says language is the center,
and it is the most essential aspect to understand the world as well as to
construct culture. Two states represents two different cultures of India. This
means there are two different languages of both the culture sometimes
though culture may not have unique ot its own language but it is sure that
every culture has its own vernacular or colloquial dialect. Krish has been
developed around Punjabi language, and Ananya has been grown up in the
surround of tamil language. However, the positive side shown in the novel
is, they are well versed with English and Hindi language. As their
educational language is English and National language is Hindi. Then even
conflict can be seen because of language is throughout the novel. Their
family and relatives are used to use native language. When some confussion
is there in once life, she / he naturally speaks in native language or speak
mother tongue. Here, some examples of influences of both of the language
from two states are expressed. When Krish is forced to see one Punjabi girl
for his marriage, the influence of Punjabi language over English is visibly
seen in the language. Two Punjabi families communicate in English, but
Punjabi accents occur in between their natural talk:

“Who knows ji about whose daughter she will become? (Two

States 62)

“Hello Aunti ji’ Dolly said and went on to give my mother a

light hug (2 states 62)

“No pammi-ji. This is enough’ my mother said, obviously

daring her to serve us more (2 states 62)

‘Nothing ji, just for tasting. You should have come for dinner (2
states 63)

‘No ji, we don’t make our daughters work’, my mother said (2

states 63)

Seeji, we are quite modern, actually,’ she said to my mother (2

states 64)

‘modern is good ji. We are also not old fashioned. Go Krish,

enjoy, my mother said (2 states 64)

In there conversation, they frequently use ji, ji is shown as necessary

accent for Punjabis when they talk. No matter in which language they
communicate, but this kind of Punjabi accents are natural and unavoidable.
Almost every person in this episode except Krish’s mother have used
unnecessary ji after many words of English like, “knows ji”, “Aunty ji”,
“Nothing ji”, “No ji” and so on.
 These are the language of two different cultures shown in the novel
that is Punjabi and Tamil. Now the focus is on how conflicts can be occurred
due to difference of language. Here is an example from novel where in,
conflict initiates due to disparity of language. My mother, not to be left
behind in asking of questions, turned to the guide , “why is it called Dandi
March? Because he carried a stick”?

Ananya’s mother turned to her father and spoke in Tamil. ‘Something

something illa knowledge Punjabi people something.’ ‘seri, seri, ‘Ananya’s
father said in a cursory manner, engrossed in the map, Ananya’s mother
continued. “Intellectually culturally zero. Something cross on educated
something”

I don’t know if Ananya’s mother realized her use of the few

English words, or may be she planted them intentionally. She had
made her come back. My mother heard her and looked at me (2 states
51)

When somebody speaks word language, it always creates certain

doubts to others who cannot understand that language. Particularly in this
incident where in there is already a conflict arises between Ananya’s mother
and Krish’s mother. Bi-lingual conversation creates more doubts whether
she abuses them or insults them. The use of English words (consciously or
unconsciously) by Ananya’s mother confuses and disturbs Krish’s mother
and creates greater conflict. Language is ahown as a part of cultural conflict
in the novel, Krish and Ananya both love each other intensively, but their
parents do not concur with their love. Cultures of both families are like chalk
and cheese. Thus one common ground to reject their proposal of marriage
and prove to be a key factor of their cultural conflict. Language differences
is uprooted in the history of both north indian and south indian culture that is
respectively Aryans and Dravidians. Dr.David truly writes in his e-article.

The larges of south india are Dravidian, which is different linguistic

group than the Indo-European languages of the North of the sub continent.
The two groups of languages have many different root words, and above all
a different grammatical structure, the Dravidian being agglutinative and the
Indo-European being inflected.

Punjabi makes their meaning according to their culture context and

cultural issues, while Tamil creates their meaning along with their cultural
habits. Thus, the conflict over the long is observed throughout the novel.

Conflict over tradition and mind set: this novel deals with two
different cultures, Tamil and Punjabi. Both have their own traditions and
customs and people of those cultures have their own mind set and education
is for Tamil. There are several points in the novel where tradition and mind
set of both the cultures can be observed. Tradition is the daily or regular
activities done by people in their routine life. The way of doing something
has existed for a long time, customs are something that people always do.
Therefore, customs and traditions are inter woven. Punjabi and Tamil
traditions and customs are reflected at many points in the novel. The novel is
a story of the marriage of Krish and Ananya. Hence, traditions and customs
related to marriage are given more importance.

The criteria of the groom for a tamil bride are given here tamils love
their community, so the groom should be of their own community.
Moreover, they emphasis on educated groom, Carnatic music and
Bharatnatyam are priorities, when art is concern. Tamil Brahmins are non-
vegetarians and do not drink, so that is also desirable. In a whole, Krish

I thought about my own family. The only Nakshatram they

think about is the division of petrol pumps when they have to see the
girl.

‘You are a science whiz kid who wants to see Saturn rings.
And you accept that people whose horoscopes don’t match shouldn’t talk?’ I
said.

‘That’s how it is in our culture’,Manju said, his hands itching to

get to his workbood. I gave him back his notes.

‘And he is coming now?’ I said.

‘Yes, for breakfast. And please, don’t snatch my notebook

again.(2 states 122)

Tamil also believes in horoscopes and where in krish has a doubt

about him. When he oppose the nakshatram system, manju protest it as it is
part of their culture. Krish, at the same time, compares Punjabi and tamil
cultures mentally. As he says, money is the only nakshatram to see at the
marriage.

On the other hand, people of every culture have certain mind set and
conviction about their own culture and for other cultures as well. This novel
echoes the same condition of mind of the people. The novel depicts psyche
of both Tamil and Punjabi people of this novel. Tamil represents as
emotionless according two Punjabi in this novel. As Krish says in the
prologue. “Do you south Indian even know what emotions are all about”?
One author mindset is represented in the novel that is Taml traps the North
Indian people. They know some magic. Through which, Tamil girls always
try to catch the North Indian boys. Moreover, they know some black nagil,
and they brain wash the people;

“Mom, control’ I whispered to her as I turned to leave.”

“I am under control. These south Indians don’t know how to

control their daughters. From Hema malini to sridevi, all of
them trying to catch Punjabi men”(2 States 48).

“Madrasi girl?”

“Anaya”, I said.

“Stay away from her. They brain wash, these people”.(2 States
50)

“Oh, some stuff. That she is very aggressive and clever nd has
you to tally under her control. But south Indian girls are like
that, no?” (2 States 65)

“ Look at him, these black people have done their black magic,
shipra masi said. (2 States 68)

First three example show the conviction of Punjabi for Tamil people.
All three examples reflect that tamils have some super natural power or
black magic through which they can control other people. The last example
says that Krish has been controlled by them and now elongs to them. These
all aspects culture explained here are prove to be the causes of cultural
conflict when two different cultures comes together. Now if, they remain
unsolved, cultural conflict cannot be solved the cultural conflict represents a
hardle for the marriage of Krish and ananya in this novel. Their marriage is
not possible without solving these conflicts. Therefore, this is an enormous
task to accomplish by Krish and ananya for their own marriage.

Conflict over food and Altire the purpose behind both the thing
together under the single subtopic is both of them are related to life stle.
Both food and afire are parts of every body’s daily stuff. Food and afire
concern with the way of life and they are habits of daily life in every culture
of the world. In some culture, clothing is not used people of some culture do
not wear clothes. The ‘cultural’ is constituted y and constitutes the ‘social’.
That is, the social realm-society, is constituted by the ‘cultural’ artefacts
used by the people, even as the cultural artefacts are themselves produced
and consumed by society. Cultural artefacts in the social realm can be
studied through the analysis of everyday life. Cultural objects and meanings
can be studies through the analysis of everyday life of particular culture.
Cultural studies relies on the process of analysis of everyday life.

In this novel Tamil and Punjabi cultures have reflected through their
peculiar attaire and food. The probe on Punjabi food, food is tagline for
Punjabi culture. The novel says, “It is cruel to keep punjais away from their
food.”(2 States 215)

The novel points out that Punjabi people soothe their worry if they get
tasty food. Bhagat writes, “ I ordered panner pao-bhaji with extra butter and
a lassi on the side. Nothing soothes an upset Punjabi like dairy Products.”

Ananya’s mther tugged at ananya and pulled her away. The guide
noticed them leave and looked puzzled.
 Thus, attires become symbols of both the cultures throughout the
novel just like language. Though food and attire are part of day to-day life,
they become in eritable aspects of both the culture. It is to observe here that
foods and attires very of both the culture in the novel. Tey clearly
distinguish both the culture, Tamil and Punjabi, from each other. These
distinctions of food and attire create conflict, which turns is to cultural
conflict.

From the cultural perfective, the believe they are the care takers of
their culture. One can compare Bhagat’s dictim in the light of the above
encyclopedia’s concept of marriage and the rithals and the ceremonies of it,
one can easily think of the greater complexities of Indian culture as are
compares India to the world around the observations of the marriage of
ananya and Krish are record.