When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon


Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?


Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.


The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?


Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.


Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Sneha Mathan & Vikas Adam
Performance: 🌑🌑🌑🌑🌑
Story: 
🌑🌑🌑🌑

When I first read the blurb, I thought it was going to be interesting to see an Indian-American perspective in YA. I'm glad I was right. One of the perks of audiobooks is you can hear the accents. I especially enjoyed the Hindi phrases.

Dimple is a girl who knows what she wants in life and does not hesitate to grab it. She's all set to become the next tech wiz. She loves coding and app development. I think her app was awesome. I hope somebody do create something like that in real life. It's really useful for elderly people. Indians have always been brilliant in STEM subjects and I am glad that Dimple is legit. There were times when she came across as slightly too abrasive but she saw what Rishi could bring to the world and helped him to be what he could be.

Rishi is a practical, dutiful Indian boy who secretly longs to become a comic book artist but his father wants him to become an engineer. I think his drawings are pretty cool too specially the Monkey King-based superhero Aditya. Rishi is one of the nicest, most thoughtful boy I have come across with in YA. It's a lovely change from the usual arrogant, brooding male love interest people seem to find appealing. One of the best things about him is that he really loves and accepts Dimple as she is.

Their first meeting was all sorts of awkward but they thankfully got over it and found out that they just clicked. Their friendship was really beautiful. I always think this is how you start a relationship, by being friends. I had fun listening to them just hanging out. Rishi was almost too nice but was never a doormat. And he slayed the Amberzombies.

In these kinds of YA romance, we typically have the artsy girl and the boy who is afraid to commit. Here Dimple was the one who didn't want a relationship and Rishi was the lovestruck artist. Apart from the Indian elements, the typical coming-of-age and romance tropes were present but Sandhya Menon still manage to keep me listening with Dimple and Rishi's distinct and engaging 'voices'. While not exactly breaking new grounds, I appreciate the diversity, humor, the fully-fleshed out characters and of course, the families. I think the Dimple and Rishi's families are precious! 

If you are looking for a book that's light, sweet and cute where smart people fall in love for the first time, this is the book for you.
SOUNDTRACK

Mitwa
Shah Rukh Khan
Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna

Mitwa�.Mitwa 
My friend...
Love will find a way 

Jaaniye heeriye
My love, my sweetheart 
Mere man yeh bata de tu 

Tell me, my heart
Kis or chala hai tu 

Which direction are you going in
Kya paaya nahin tune 

What haven�t you got?
Kya dhoond raha hai tu 

What are you searching for?
Jo hai ankahee, jo hai ansunee woh baat kya hai bata 

What is that which is unsaid and unheard?
Mitwa �kahe dhadkanen tujhse kya 

My friend�.what are your heartbeats telling you?
Mitwa�.yeh khud se to naa tu chupa 

My friend�.don�t try to hide it from yourself
Mere man yeh bata de tu Kis or chala hai tu 
Kya paaya nahin tune Kya dhoond raha hai tu 
Jo hai ankahee, jo hai ansunee woh baat kya hai bata 
Mitwa �kahe dhadkanen tujhse kya 
Mitwa�.yeh khud se to naa tu chupa 
Jeevan dagar mein, prem nagar mein (2) 

In life, in the path of love
Aaya nazar mein jab se koi hai 

From the moment someone has entered
Tu sochta hai, tu poochta hai 

You�ve been thinking and asking yourself
Jiski kami thi, kya yeh wohi hai 

Is she the one you were lacking in life?
Haan yeh wohi hai, haan yeh wohi hai 

Yes she�s the one
Tu ek pyaasa aur yeh nadi hai 

You�re the thirst and she�s the river
Kaahe nahin isko tu khulke bataaye 

So why don�t you open up and tell her
Jo hai ankahee, jo hai ansunee woh baat kya hai bata 

What is that which is unsaid and unheard?
Mitwa �kahe dhadkanen tujhse kya 

My friend�.what are your heartbeats telling you?
Mitwa�.yeh khud se to naa tu chupa 

My friend�.don�t try to hide it from yourself

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