Sajita Nair is one of the new breed of Indian authors and has recently got her first book, She's A Jolly Good Fellow published by Hachette India. Interestingly, unlike most new Indian authors, writing is not Sajita's first love; she was commissioned in the Indian Army in 1994.

In fact, She's A Jolly Good Fellow tells the story of two women faujis in the Indian Army. This at once makes it unique and interesting; new books about campus life in the IITs and IIMs are published everyday, but the experiences of lady officers in the intensely masculine Indian Army don't dot too many bookshelves. Another thing that works in the book's favour is the cover design - the book's flap sports an intricate painted pattern that will definitely help it get noticed easily.

Now for the story.

Second Lieutenants Deepa Shekhar (who narrates the story) and Anjali 'Anju' Sharma succesfully graduate from from the Officer's Training Academy and are transferred to Bengdubi, a remote army unit in West Bengal. They are the first lady jawans to be transferred to the unit, and this naturally results in a lot of hilarious situations.

At their first PT drill, the administrative officer admonishes them in front of all the soldiers for wearing skirts to the drill - don't you realise that this is bound to make heads turn, the soldiers will forget all about their drill, stop living in a La-La land, blah blah blah. Other embarrassing events follow - Anju gives a full regimental salute to a formidable looking Sikh, before realising he's a junior.

While Deepa and Anju share the common predicament of being the only lady jawans in a unit full of soldiers belonging to the other sex, they have very differing personalities. Deepa is intent on proving herself to be as capable as the male officers who are skeptical of the usefulness of women in the army. She dresses like the men, takes to swearing at her juniors and insists on being called 'Sahab'.

Anjali, on the other hand, is more ladylike. She can't rid herself of Mills & Boon romances and her make-up kit. She is a lot less intent on proving herself; she also raises a lot more male eye-brows than Deepa.

Apart from Deepa and Anju, there are a lot of other characters, mostly male - Prashant Bhat, the dashing and inflential
Major who seems to take an immediate liking for Anju; Lieutenant Sandeep Singh, who has an impossibly long nose and whose jokes are best avoided; Lieutenant Gairola, who thinks women are a waste in the Army; Lieutenant Bipin Ghosh, a charming and easy-going officer who plays the guitar and sings like Kishore-da; Captain Amit Joseph, a serious man who has become disillusioned with the army after years of back-bending to the seniors. Then there are the wives of the officers, some of whom believe that the ladies must help out in arranging parties and functions, do something that befits their sex.

Sajita is a nuanced story-teller, and she does her job very well. The book is a pleasant read, and Sajita manages to keep the readers engaged for the most part. The reactions of skeptical officers, the lewd stares of the lecherous ones, the natural attractions the protagonists feel for certain officers, the frequent arguments between Anjali and Deepa, the anguish and loneliness faced by Deepa when Anju leaves her to stay with a fellow officer - none of the situations seem contrived. Importantly, Sajita also highlights the issues faced by women officers in the army, and puts forward the argument that women jawans can be as useful as their male counterparts, notwithstanding their physical weaknesses and the fact that they are susceptible to horrible atrocities if taken as prisoners-of-war.

That is not to say that the book is perfect. The book flags off towards the end. Some situations that are meant to be funny do not extract more than a weak smile. Captian Amit Joseph, who palys an important role in the book, comes across as boring and one-dimensional.

She's A Jolly Good Fellow is an important addition to the bookshelf, as much for the bold points that it makes, as for its entertaining story-telling.

Rating: 7/10.