Love and Social Hierarchy: An Analysis of Half Girlfriend

Perception of Love in Unmarried Couple as Represented in Bhagat’s Novel

According to the Oxford Dictionary says LOVE is a strong feeling of affection and sexual attraction for someone. Love is a very special and meaningful word to each human being. Love only decides everything in this world. It doesn’t have any condition or rules. We don’t know exactly what love is and where it comes from. But one thing is sure; we are nothing without love. It always protests, trusts and hopes. Love is he or she feels for his mommy and daddy. Love is something different so feel it one in our life. Love is not a bad thing. Love is very interesting part of our life. Love is a small word occurring in form with a vital meaning. It’s common word, easy to spell, difficult to explain, but impossible to live without love.

Sometimes we express our love when we are quiet and do not say a word, at the other times we speak loud to express it. Many times we have to show our love when we forgive someone. Love can be blind, misguided, tragic, unconditional, steadfast and inconsistent. Love is a powerful and permanent neural condition. Love is commitment. Love is sympathy and it’s not something you can constraint control. Love is fascination. Love is also about compatibility. In Bhagat’s novel, Half Girlfriend, he came across many social problems like Community, Class difference, Language and Culture. This novel indicated the class difference between Madhav and Riya. He is from rural area called Dumroan, a village in Bhojpur in Bihar. Madhav is a good Basketball player. He gets admission through sports quota in St. Stephens College in Delhi. Riya is from high society. Madhav goes in search of her in New York, he finds her at a jazz event and the two reconcile. After three and half years, they get married and have a son, Shyam. Then we find Madhav and Riya successfully running the school. Most of the boys fall for an intelligent girl, because she will teach something new, she will be open to anything. She will be honest in her feelings. She will not give him up for anyone. At any situation she will make him happy. Here, in this novel ‘Half Girlfriend’ Riya teaches everything to Madhav. How to speak in English in public places and how to respect rich people. She suggests him to read Chetan Bhagat’s books. She shares and teaches everything to him. But, she is not his girlfriend; she agrees to be his ‘Half Girlfriend’. Here, Cultural Class is the main problem of Madhav and Riya’s love. Madhav thinks that,

‘Without English, I felt naked. I started thinking about my return trip to Bihar. I didn’t belong here-these English as the medium of instruction in our college, that’s all’.

He does not have a good command over English but can understand when it is spoken. Half Girlfriend (2014) however is an exception to the rule. It has love as main theme. Half Girlfriend is a love story. It is a love story of Madhav, a Bihari boy and Riya, a high society Delhi girl. The book also describes Madhav’s love for his motherland. He wants to do something for the school his mother is running in Dumraon a backward area of Bihar; eighty five kilometres from Patna. But meanwhile he has to go through much struggle to achieve both i.e. love of Riya and development of his mother’s school. Half Girlfriend tells how language is important in defining one’s future and to what extent it impacts relationships. Told in the background of Delhi, it’s the love story which throws light to serious overlooked issue of English expertise among youngsters of India.

About Riya Somani

Riya Somani is the heroine of the novel. She is from high society, who is also selected through sports quota in the same college. Her father is a Marwari Businessman. Madhav and Riya become friends due to their association while playing Basketball. Riya is already engaged with her childhood friend Rohan. Riya is inviting Madhav to her wedding with her childhood friend, Rohan Chandak. Madhav and Riya they both love to play Basketball and soon they become best friends. Madhav develops love feeling for Riya, which he tries to express her on different occasions. A year later she gets married with her childhood friend Rohan Chandak. Most of the boys fall for an intelligent girl, because she will teach something new, she will be open to anything. She will be honest in her feelings. She will not give him up for anyone. At any situation she will make him happy. Here, in this novel ‘Half Girlfriend’ Riya teaches everything to Madhav. How to speak in English in public places and how to respect rich people. She suggests him to read Chetan Bhagat’s books. She shares and teaches everything to him. But, she is not his girlfriend; she agrees to be his ‘Half Girlfriend’.

If she is clear about her relation that is either only friend or a lover. He may be not that much turn over out as a despo. He is from village background who doesn’t know even proper English, and then what can we expect from him about these “half girlfriend” concepts? The girl has to know how to deal to lover background people. She is an undeveloped jumbled girl, yet women, WTF? They are so many great girls who are lot better mature and confident than Riya Somani. You have to follow and take inspiration from those types of woman. She suffered from husband. It’s totally her fault that she doesn’t have decision making skill and go with abuse husband. And Hero’s mother can’t accept a divorcee to a unmarried boy, Is it so hard & new to understand? In every love marriage issues parents will find some problems. The lovers have to convince them or at least try to convince. But here ,our riya Somani can’t even mention this problems to that boy and escape from there by mentioning she has fake cancer and also her confession of love to him at the same time. There is no logic here. Is it justifiable to that boy? And she again writers journals and make them publicized. Why? She expects her boy to search her and return to her? What the hell

About Madhav Jha

This novel indicated the class difference between Madhav and Riya. He is from rural area called Dumroan, a village in Bhojpur in Bihar. Madhav is a good Basketball player. He gets admission through sports quota in St. Stephens College in Delhi. Madhav and Riya become friends due to their association while playing Basketball. Madhav wants to make a relationship with her, but she refuses. She agrees to be his ‘Half Girlfriend’. Riya is already engaged with her childhood friend Rohan. Riya is inviting Madhav to her wedding with her childhood friend, Rohan Chandak. Madhav didn’t attend her marriage, he moves to Simrao, his hometown. And Madhav settles in his hometown and helps his mother, Rani Sahiba, who runs her school. Madhav decides to meet local MLA Ojha for financial help, but the MLA refuses to help. Ojha informs Madhav about Bill Gates visit to some schools in Bihar. Madhav tries to convince Gates to fund his school, so he has to prepare a speech in English. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, love is a powerful and meaningful word that holds a special place in each individual's life. Chetan Bhagat's novel 'Half Girlfriend' portrays the perception of love in unmarried couples, highlighting social problems such as community, class differences, language, and culture. The novel showcases the class difference between the two main characters, Madhav and Riya, and how language impacts their relationship. Riya, who is from a high society, helps Madhav, who is from a rural area, to improve his English language skills and teaches him how to respect wealthy people. Although Riya agrees to be Madhav's 'Half Girlfriend,' the novel shows the importance of being clear about one's relationship status and understanding how to deal with people from different backgrounds. Overall, Bhagat's novel raises important issues about love and relationships, emphasizing that love should be free from conditions and rules and that it can be blind, misguided, tragic, unconditional, steadfast, and inconsistent.