The incomparable Jane Austen

It speaks to the universality of human experience and the wisdom of Jane Austen, that what was true for an 18th century English rural town remains true in a 21st century Indian urban hub. As she stated, we are, indeed, a sport for our neighbours and they for us. While Austen had her stately homes, balls and picnics, we have a worthy successor in the form of WhatsApp which provides the characters that inhabit our lives, a canvas to flaunt their zaniness.

To rival the Dashwoods and Bennets, I have my networks of family and friends grouped by the age, stage or origin of our association and a posse of service providers to cover every real and imagined requirement — butchers, bakers, all sorts of makers, boutiques and book clubs plus the innumerable mommy groups a modern mother feels obligated to join.

Austen could, with panache, transform a scene of bored lounging into one of heightened emotions. Something similar happens, usually on a lazy Sunday morning, when some good soul will, without any prior warning, launch a high speed volley via a terse, often misspelt, unpunctuated message. In under a minute, a pitched battle would have broken out, transmuting from a singles match to a team sport with a few random comments thrown in from brave spectators. WhatsApp lends itself so beautifully to misunderstandings that I’m inclined to renaming some of my groups— P&P-ii; -iii etc.

The intensity of sentiments on display and the ferocity and swiftness of the responses brings to mind Darcy and Elizabeth; albeit the present day counterparts usually lack their wit and good looks. A peek into my family groups would reveal a milieu that mirrors Austenian society with worried mamas, disapproving uncles, matchmaking aunts, exasperating siblings and over enthusiastic cousins. Who better than her to trust as a guide, friend and philosopher when navigating such a maze?