2 States by Chetan Bhagat

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A university in India. 
Boy and girl meet. 
Fall in love. 
Want to get married. 
Need both parents' approval. 

The real battle begins.

That basically sums up the storyline in Chetan Bhagat's 2 States. But let me give you a more in-depth summary anyway. 2 States starts off telling the love story of Krish and Ananya. Two very different people. Krish is a clever boy who dreams of becoming a writer, but he must get a degree and a job before he can live out his dream. He also happens to be Punjabi. Ananya is the most beautiful girl in school and is constantly approached by guys. Some even propose to her. She's Tamil. The fact that the couple are from two different states, religions and casts does not keep them away from each other and they fall madly in love. Real trouble arises when the two decide they want to get married. They must get their parents' approval, although it is no easy task.

So basically, 2 States is about forbidden love. Both Krish and Ananya's parents disapprove of their relationship. And a wedding is unthinkable. But Krish and Ananya believe that it is and must be possible to somehow convince their parents. They're in love and they believe they're meant to be so of course they take up the fight. It is essential for the couple that their parents approve of their partner, but also that the parents like each other. Throughout the story, we learn how strongly both parties hold on to their values and beliefs. It often seems like Krish and Ananya have set themselves up to fail and that they are being delusional for thinking that they can actually get their parents to accept them. This is also because of how rude and sometimes unfair the parents can be towards their potential daughter or son in-law. At the same time, Bhagat manages to tell the story in a humoristic way. So for instance when Ananya's father harshly insults Krish, you do feel bad for him, but still you can't help but laugh at the creative choice of words he uses in order to demean Krish. 

In short, this is a story about fighting for what you believe in. It's about never giving up even though all hope seems to be lost. It's about being open to new things. Because even though you have your own values and beliefs that you hold dear, you shouldn't hate another person for having other values than yourself. We should be open to one another. 

In the end, they all do learn that what's important is to give love. And it's even better if we can love more people. It takes a village, a lot of fighting and tears, but it is possible to obtain whatever you set your heart out to do. Thankfully, this is a real story that has a happy ending. 

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