Dedicated wife and diligent mother Renuka Sharma takes pride in doing her duty. No matter how she feels personally, she always fulfills her obligations. Whether it's preparing timely meals for her live-in in-laws and 15-year-old son, Bobby, or performing the tasks at her job as receptionist to Dr. Raghubir Singh at his medical practice, Renu believes in doing what needs to be done once she has identified the appropriate course of action.

More than likely, her dedication to duty began when her mother contracted cancer when Renu was 13. Before that, Renu had had a normal, carefree childhood. But after nursing and caring for her mother through her fatal illness and demise, Renu took on a seriousness that has followed her through her adult life.

"Whether readers agree with Renu's actions or not, it's very likely that they'll empathize with her and the situation in which she finds herself."

Now Renu's husband, Dheeraj, has left Delhi behind and is working far away in Dubai where he will be for the next several years, with occasional rare trips home to visit. While the separation is wrenching for both of them, the extra income Dheeraj can make is invaluable. In her husband's absence, all the responsibilities at home fall on Renu's shoulders. It's a good thing she's so capable, though perhaps she isn't as steadfast as she seems.

For example, when a man harasses Renu in the train station where she catches the train that takes her to work each day, Vineet Sehgal, an attractive younger man, comes to her rescue. From that chance encounter, a relationship that Renu either can't or won't define slowly grows. While the relationship begins innocently enough, the 37-year-old wife and mother keeps the friendship to herself, refusing to mention it to her husband, son or in-laws.

Inwardly, Renu feels confident that her friendship with Vineet poses no threat to her marriage or familial relationships because she always has her eye firmly on what she wants out of life. After all, she was the one who insisted that Dheeraj explore the possibility of employment in Dubai to lift them out of living paycheck to paycheck. Saying that Renu is goal-oriented is putting it mildly.

An ambitious woman, Renu dreams of a nicer home for her family and of an education for her son that will culminate in him receiving an MBA and garnering a job in an office where he will wear a business suit each day and work in the city. Unfortunately for Renu, Bobby has other plans. He abhors the idea of an office job, longing only to cook for a living. He dreams of becoming a great chef, a job his mother considers menial and beneath him.

As the time for Dheeraj to come home for a rare visit draws nearer and nearer, events spiral out of control and Renu is left wondering how she can gain the upper hand over her life and over those around her. If she can't, she could be on a collision course with disaster.

In THE PRIVATE LIFE OF MRS SHARMA, author Ratika Kapur offers an introspective look at the life of a dedicated wife and mother with which many women will identify. Accustomed to putting their desires on the back burner until they no longer remember what their desires even were, many women will understand and even applaud the sometimes seemingly questionable choices that Renu makes. Whether readers agree with Renu's actions or not, it's very likely that they'll empathize with her and the situation in which she finds herself.