Baat ek raat ki. Review on One Night at the Call Centre - Chetan Bhagat

This is a book, according to me, you cant keep it down untill u have finished reading it!

i could very much identify with the characters in the book, maybe because I had worked in call centres at the beginning of my career.I m not very sure, but I think the book will appeal mainly to youth in metros or big cities or to people working in BPOs and call centers.This is strictly my view point.

*Coming to the book "One night at the call centre"!(no it's not abt a MMS scandal:) )

*The story is about 6 call-center agents working for a call-center called Connexions in Gurgaon.These 6 people work together, in the same bay. They commute to office in the same Qualis and are pretty close to each other(except military uncle). There are 2 guys, 3 girls and a retired military person.The 6 main characters are:-

1. Shyam:-Actually the story is narrated by Shyam

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He is a guy, who has lost confidence in himself and believes he is good for nothing. He is under estimated by everyone, just because he works in a call center and is not a cardiac surgeon or an engineer. He is neglected among his relatives. And, if all this was not enough, he has just broken with his steady girlfriend of four years - Priyanka. Priyanka's mother also thinks like others, that Shyam is good for nothing and constantly advises her daughter to stay away for him and think about her life.This causes their, Shyam-Priyanka's, relation to suffer and hence the break-up.Shyam's woes dont end here. At work-place he has a moron for a boss called Bakshi, who just dumps his work on to him. Shyam is submissive to Bakshi, just hoping he would be promoted to a TeamLead post.

*2. Vroom(or Varun and my fav character)

*His nickname Vrooom says it all.Hes crazy about bikes, cars.He loves speed.He used to work as a journalist, but the pay was not good enough.He wants to keep his lifestyle to match his friends.Thats why he has taken up a job in Connexions.There is a dark side to him as well.His parents are divorced and he has not taken it well.He is disturbed abt it.Also sometimes he hates himself for working in a call center and taking abuse from Americans, just for money.On the bright side, he has hots for his colleague Esha. Esha is a hip and modern girl, who aspires to be a model.

Also Vroom is te only guy with whom Shyam could be frank and tell all his feelings.

3. Priyanka

Shyam's ex-girlfreind. She wants to earn money by working at Connexions, so that she can pursue her studies.She has broken up with Shyam.Due to family pressure, she has agreed to marry an NRI working for microsoft(his name is Ganesh).She still feels for Shyam and thinks that Shyam Should stand for himself.

*4. Esha

*Esha is a modern gal, aspiring to be a model.At night she works for Connexions and during the day she struggles to get modelling assignment. She has come to Gurgaon against her parents wish.

Esha's secret -She sleeps with a successful designer to bag a modelling assignment. But the designer dumps her saying she is way short to be a model.

*5. Radhika

*Radhika is married to her college sweet-heart Anuj.She  has very traditional in-laws. She bears her mother-in-law only for Anuj's sake.Maybe once upon a time, Radhika was as modern as Esha, but after marraige she sacrifices herself for Anuj's family.

6. Military Uncle

He is retired and his son does not want him to stay with his family. Military Uncle loves his grandson very much.Sometimes he thinks, that it was his mistake(being too strict), that he could not adjust with his son and daughter-in-law.He feels, sometimes he should go and see his son(who is in US) and make up with him.

And we have the moron boss, Bakshi.

There is a rumour at Connexions that there will be job cuts because call volume has hit an all time low.

*The plot:-

*Our story starts(with the background given) on a night, when all these people set out for work, thinking its going to be one more normal day or rather night.But this night and some incidents change their course of life.

When they arrive at work and start taking calls, there is some issue with phone lines and they are left with no work for sometime.Various incidents happen during that night:-

1. Radhika finds out that Anuj is cheating on her, for a girl called Payal.

   
   




2. Priyanka finds Shyam tapping the landline phone, on which she was speaking to Ganesh.

   
   




3. Vroom proposes Esha for a long-term relation, which she declines.

   
   




4. Vroom finds out about Esha's secret.

   
   




5. Esha gets a packet full of money from the designer as a "compensation"

   
   




6. Heated arguments occur between Priyanka ad Shyam(for tapping lines) and between Vroom and Priyanka(over Vroom abusing Esha, after he finds out she slept with some1 and says that he feels sick to have proposed Esha).

   
   




7. Bakshi calls for a meeting and confirms about the job cuts and says that he will announce "whose gng to stay and whose gonna get fired" later early morning.

   
   

Frustrated after Bakshi's meeting, everyone sets out in the call center Qualis for some fresh air and change(since anyways the call volume is low and due to the phone lines issue, major traffic has been routed to bangalore centre).Vroom is driving.They go to a disco called "Bed".Everyone(except militarty uncle) is on a high after few drinks.While driving back, the Qualis falls in a construction pit and the only support they have is Iron rods. But these rods are snapping one by one, due to the weight. No one has n/w on their cell phones(they are somewhere on a bumpy road near the highway).They cant call for help.Just when every one thinks they are going to die, they get a call on Shyam's cell phone.(though there is no n/w!)

And the following incidents make the story take an unexpected turn leading to an interesting but very very bollywoodish climax.

The story is more about, "an individual should follow his heart and do what he thinks, he will be best at".Rather than running after money aor some other materialistic pleasure.

The author, Chetan Bhagat, has written in simple language. It is understandable. The situations are believeable and so are all the characters.Only flaw is the  "filmy" climax.

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this one.Am gonna start "Five point Some1", by Chetan Bhagat.Hope to enjoy that as well.

*All in all an interesting read!

Recommended!