The Unproposed Guy by Bhavik Sarkhedi Paints a Picture of Existential Crisis through Flat Storytelling!

The urge to document one's own experiences in the wrap of fiction might be a tricky manoeuvre to take but has surely yielded in various fiction novels by Indian authors; especially by the newcomers and the seasonal authors and 'The Unproposed Guy' is a result of the same. Bhavik Sarkhedi, along with the co-author Suhana Bhabhani has attempted his best to portray the daily travails of a single man seeking love and an aspirational career and keeps failing at it - though relatable at some point but lacks the x-factor to hold the grip. 

Kevin, a young man is dealing with the mundane of life. With a history of putting off girls, Kevin does not know if he will ever find his dream girl. However, the introvert Kevin aces it with his stand-up comedy performances and finds solace among the cronies. Simultaneously, Kevin also has various family issues to deal with, one of which also includes resistance from the family to take up a career like stand-up comedy. 

The book follows simple language while the cover is a coruscating and attractive depiction of the plot with the mic replacing the head of a man and the hand holding a withered rose. Confiding to Local Samosa, Bhavik Sarkhedi, who has also tried his hand at stand-up comedy, says, "The idea for this character and the story had emerged after my observance about the singleton and single men including myself - back in a time - and hence, I came with the term, 'Unproposed' for the book." 

Mr. Sarkhedi, an award-winning digital marketer, has ensured the usage of various pop culture references to entice both Millenials and GenZ readers. One can come across characters like Chandler, Sheldon Cooper, and more to build a connection that corresponds well. On the other hand, the usage of first-person writing, and poems with rhyme schemes surely find their way to the seasonal readers asking them hooked on it.

Having said that, one of the most important elements used in the book, comedy, and sarcasm, does not have much appeal in many places as they appear rife and even forceful. While the plot aims its best to captivate the readers throughout, a few instances become both, repetitive and elongated making it totter. What could have been avoided is the narration going back to the back story of the protagonist to make it look less tenuous. A one-page dedication to "humour' as a concept appears unnecessary while a lot of background stories of the protagonist do not match the meaning of their titles leaving the readers puzzled. The author has even tried to make it a maelstrom of complicated emotions but that does not seem to impress either.

In the span of two years for the book to be published, it has not performed "up to the mark", as the author says. Mr. Sarkhedi, who is on a journey for various other projects than writing his next novels admits that the book shall remain "good" only for "specific readers", which, as per him, are the "single individuals having hardships in the personal lives", and that defines all that the book contains that cuts little ice for the readers.