Ladies Coupe by Anita Nair

Ladies Coupe is a concept which does not exist anymore in the Indian railway. But, I think they would have been a great place to make some wonderful friends. Those who think like you, and those who you would never come across else. Anita Nair looks at this coupe and its travelers in an interwoven way, through the eyes of Akhila, a 45 year old single woman and also through their own eyes. How Akhila thinks what she missed out, and what she would have rather not done. Women of all age groups are in the coupe and each of them show a different energy and zest for life. Some have given up, some have fought back and, some have realized their mistakes.

I enjoyed reading the book, a very simple read, but many a times it left me staring off into a distance, in thought about how my life would turn out. It questions so many things which we take as a passing phase and shows it in a different light. Small things which look harmless in the beginning, how it changes someone's life. There is a sense of despair which we associate with Akhila and wonder is it fate or she who led her life to its present path.