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641:, "Like Anamika's quest for new and improved experiences, Dawesar's narrative is sometimes rushed, particularly during the last third of the book, which is more enervating than involving. In "Babyji's" final pages, Anamika's revelation that her world is on the verge of opening up in exciting and significant ways isn't moving so much as it is the last plot-point." A review in
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Finally, she makes several passes at Sheela, one of the girls in her class. Although their male classmates' consider Sheela much prettier than
Anamika, Sheela herself is quite unaware of her budding beauty and the boyfriends she could have if she wanted to. She does question whether her intimacies
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by the
Sharmas. However, as their apartment does not have a servant's bedroom, Rani is ordered to sleep on the floor of Anamika's room. This, of course, provides the girl with ample opportunity to explore submissive Rani's perfect body, in spite of the servant's occasional tentative protestations
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divorced lady about twice her age whom she calls "India". India is a wealthy academic who lives in
Anamika's neighbourhood, and occasionally Anamika sneaks out of the house when her parents have already gone to bed to spend the night with her new-found friend. Mr and Mrs Sharma know about Tripta
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to study physics. Anamika is confident that she will be able to get in, but feels conflicted about contributing to the country's brain drain; ultimately, she concludes that it would be best to return to her native country after the completion of her studies to contribute to the modernization of
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review states, "Despite its meandering path, the novel achieves an impressive balance between moral inquiry and decadent pleasure, pleasing the intellect and the senses—if not necessarily the heart—of the open-minded reader." Melissa Price writes for the
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in India still has a long way to go in order to catch up with developments in the West. People like Rani have been led to believe that "women are not meant to enjoy," and when Adit talks about his wife he calls her a "power woman" because she works for
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Also in
Kasauli, Anamika is horrified to see that she is expected to drink beer—which she does—and that one evening the grown-ups with whom she is travelling not only gather together to smoke a
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for traditional Indian thought and values. Anamika resists all advances by men, in particular those by her classmate Vidur's father, who, at their first encounter, asks that she call him Adit rather than
476:" when they grow up she replies with a non-committal "Maybe". Only when Anamika goes too far and forces herself on Sheela does the latter reject her, at least for the time being.
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that "Babyji", for her own good, should seek the love of a boy her own age. Anamika, however, sticks with her choice, rejects male advances, and, despite the danger of being
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is a continuum rather than a binary phenomenon. Anamika's mind, however, seems already set. She prefers "Sheela's smoothness to Vidur's hairiness," sees herself as predator
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Adhikari but naturally assume that the latter has a maternal relationship with their daughter, while India herself knows very well that what she is doing amounts to
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with another girl are morally okay but does not recognize the seriousness of
Anamika's endeavours. When Anamika asks her if she will be her "
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Though she likens herself to a playboy, she always makes sure that each of her partners believes she is the only one for her.
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states, "Anamika is a delightful, charming character, wise in some ways and incredibly naïve in others as teens tend to be."
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is of a youthful kind, where every new experience she has is likely to trigger a change in her outlook on the
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was such a contradiction in terms, conveying too much respect that the age of a child doesn't warrant.")
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as someone who associates with a person from a much lower caste, is even prepared to teach Rani some
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The novel is set against the backdrop of the protests against the recommendations of the
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but also offer her one as well. In the end
Anamika politely refuses.
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describes the novel as "a bold depiction of modern lesbian desires."
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155:. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed.
823:"7 Must-Read Novels And Memoirs On LGBTQ+ Penned By Indian Authors"
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and wants to meet her again, alone. India teaches her that being
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who, though she is older than the daughter of the house, out of
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of a 16-year-old bespectacled schoolgirl, the only child of a
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796:"8 Books Featuring Asian and Pacific Islander Queer Women"
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during her trip to
Kasauli—and at school excels at
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traditional Indian society and breaking down the rigid
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She spends much of her time with Tripta
Adhikari, a
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171:Learn how and when to remove this message
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
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331:an elder by referring to them with the
483:The presentation of Indian society in
45:Please improve this article by adding
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872:Lambda Literary Award-winning works
766:Price, Melissa (13 February 2005).
436:with India and two of her friends.
892:Stonewall Book Award-winning works
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907:2005 LGBT-related literary works
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416:, which trigger several acts of
320:family. The three simultaneous "
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714:. New York City: Anchor Books.
877:Indian English-language novels
312:and the sexual adventures and
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768:"Reviews in Brief / Babyji"
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833:. Retrieved
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329:venerating
145:improve it
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