Big Apple: 2 Bites

Big Apple: 2 Bites
By Arunabha Sengupta
FROG BOOKS/ZZEBRA
4A, Diamond House, Linking Road, Parallel Road to National College,
Bandra (West), Mumbai 400 050, India
Tel: 91-22-26496712, 55838935
editor@zzebra.net
www.frogbooks.net
ISBN 81-88811-98-X
275pp. Indian Rs275

The minute someone mentions that s/he is somehow related to the IT industry, what is the first word that springs to mind? More likely than not, the person will probably be dismissed as yet another geek. This is where books like Big Apple 2 Bites come into the picture.

The protagonist, Aniruddha, is a process consultant in India, who has been sent (read outsourced) to New York to work on a project. The story revolves around his experiences in the Big Apple prior to 9/11, along with the friends he makes, the romantic venture he attempts and the way he handles his bosses.

Come 9/11 and his fortunes are diametrically transformed. As the project comes to an abrupt end, he is sent back to India, where he is eventually laid off. However, the next job that does come his way requires him to return to New York where the economy is now coping with the disastrous events of 9/11 along with the two wars waged on Afghanistan and Iraq. The 2 Bites in the book’s title is a reference to New York in two distinct eras, one on either side of 9/11.

So what is it in the story that will make you both empathise and sympathise with those in the IT industry? First and foremost you’ll realise the kind of ignorant management personnel these people have to put up with, along with the crazy hours and the higher echelons of authority, who want everything in terms of figures no matter what.

For instance, Aniruddha is asked for probability figures but when he gives a figure of 0.7, he is informed that this figure will not impress the client, so a figure of 700 to 800 must be fabricated. Apart from a deep insight into the work of a process consultant, the story also makes one realise the misconceptions about other cultures and their norms and values which still rule in spite of globalisation. The way different American characters talk about Indian society and the myths that Aniruddha has to dispel are quite astonishing. The reverse is also true.

The book has its funny moments, for example when Aniruddha tries to strike up a conversation with his colleague Allison Palmer. It is amusing to note that once he goes online and chats with her, he becomes quite coherent and eloquent, illustrating once more the power of the internet to make one completely different from what s/he is in everyday life.

The hallmark of the story and one that distinguishes it from many others is that it is written entirely in the second person, instead of the first or the third person. When contacted, the author, Arunabha Sengupta had the following to say in response to why he chose this particular form of narration.

“The reason why I used the second person was because the book was supposed to be an account of the realisation that comes to the main character through his journeys in life. It is as if he is being taught lessons by life. And so I thought if it was written in the second person, it would be more appropriate because then it would be as if life was indeed talking to the protagonist.”

“Also, use of the second person instils a dreamy feeling in the narrative, which was required for the second part of the novel which is quite philosophical,” he concluded.

Even though the book drags at times and gets quite technical at others, it is well worth reading.