The Higher Education of Geetika Mehendiratta by Anuradha Marwah (Book Review: 4*/5)!!!

2141st BLOG POST

8^th Book of 2025

 

I remember reading Anuradha Marwah’s Aunties of Vasant Kunj last year and enjoying it enough to rate it 4 out of 5. This year, I came across another book by her titled “The Higher Education of Geetika Mehendiratta.” I was surprised to see that she had written another book within a year, but only after reading the back cover did I realize that it was originally published in 1993. It has now been republished by Rupa Publications in 2025, spanning around 225 pages. Since the author had already impressed me with her previous work, I didn’t think twice before picking this one up.

 

The book reads like a chick-lit novel, the kind that became popular after Chetan Bhagat during the decade of 2010–2020. However, it’s fascinating to discover that Anuradha had written this story almost ten years before Bhagat even came into the picture. The language isn’t overly simple — it takes a little time to get into the rhythm — but her command over literary English becomes evident within the first few pages itself.

 

The character of Geetika begins by describing her locality, particularly her village named Desertvadi in Rajasthan. It’s fun to read such a fictional name because you can almost guess which real towns it might be inspired by. The author very wittily portrays the lifestyle of people living in such a place, completely detached from the urban way of life.

 

You also get a glimpse of how girls were ambitious even in those days, despite growing up in rural settings. Geetika’s dreams come true when she gets an opportunity to visit Lutyenabad — a full-blown city that people from Desertvadi aspire to reach. She makes the most of it, never restricting herself from making choices that would have been unthinkable back in her hometown. It’s exciting to read how she transforms her mindset and personality once she becomes a regular at Lutyenabad.

 

Her growing interest in boys, and the way her thoughts and feelings differ when she interacts with Andy and Ratish, are portrayed beautifully. You can clearly sense how a woman reflects deeply when it comes to marriage — knowing that compromise is inevitable; it’s only a matter of how much. Anuradha makes this dilemma very relatable through Geetika’s inner conflict.

 

Geetika’s experiences with her parents and in-laws reveal how she manages to liberate herself despite so many external factors trying to confine her. The book feels like a girl’s diary, chronicling her dreams while showing the heavy price she pays for living them each day. Her support from a few friends — and their surprise at her constant evolution — reflects the author’s understanding of how individuals often get trapped by societal expectations and slowly lose the ability to make unbiased decisions.

 

The last four lines of the book truly moved me — the part where Geetika speaks with her papa. It made me think about people who live courageously, knowing they’ll be judged even by their own family, yet choose to stay strong for what lies ahead.

 

Overall, The Higher Education of Geetika Mehendiratta was a joy to read. I give it 4 stars out of 5.

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WRITING BUDDHA