Passion for Writing

Book worm’ was what I was often called by friends and family. I’ve always been an avid reader. Even today I recall the day years back, when my dearest mother asked me to pack my expensive new saris (I WAS SIXTEEN THEN and thought I was just sooooooo kooooool, stupid more like it :$) in a suitcase and bring them down onto the second floor.

Let me expand on this, before migrating to Australia, I was living with my folks in Fiji - my homeland. Our exotic Fiji was going through a terrible tropical hurricane. We resided on the top floor of our three story commercial property and the gales were supposed to come at a certain time of the night, tearing at us. Now imagine my mother’s dismay, when much later that night, (as we sat huddle in the darkness on the second floor lit by lanterns - power failure - sipping hot teas) she asked me again, whether I had packed all my silk saris…(which one day of course were going to be part of my wedding dowry).

My mother cast one glance at the suitcase next to my feet and the saying is so true…mothers know best! She opened the suitcase and the altering expressions on her face, (when instead of neatly packed saris; she saw dozens of Mills and Boon, Perry Mason, Denise Robins, Barbara Cartland, Alfred Hitchcock, Sydney Sheldon, Harold Robbins, Nancy Drew, a copy of Treasure Island (LOL!) and a lecture pad with my scribbled thoughts or lets say my first attempt to write and then romance book with steamy covers). I just wanted to crawl beneath the bed.

Now to be very honest those books and my thoughts were more precious then those saris worth a couple of grand.

I had done my packing as Mom asked me to, but sari's featured no where inside my suitcase.

Perry Mason, the main character of detective fiction authored by Erle Stanley Gardner was my hero, all night I would lay awake reading his courtroom drama's.

I announced to my parents that I wanted to follow into my father's footstep, which was to become a lawyer, my beloved dad was convinced that one day I become a top notch lawyer. But I was very laid back and books were my only passion, and aside that the other was to play pranks on my friends at school and some teachers, end result...to become a barrister remind a dream! Much later I swapped that for Information Technology.

I can vividly recall those days, when I used to pretend I was revising school work, under the watchful eyes of my parents, but instead used to stuff a story book inside my text book and read that instead. My dear uncle who was the principal of my college was becoming fast fed up by my fixation for novels. He was concerned about my future and he use to lecture me at lengths, but out it went the other ear.

With much fondness and love I recall those words from my biology teacher the late Mr Jaleel Buksh whom we fondly used to call 'mama'. He asked me to stand up in the class, which I promptly did, with a bored grin on my face, for I knew what was coming. His words to me were; "Your results are appalling! You should be so ashamed of yourself! You happen to come from a very well known, highly respected and educated family. Look at you...look at your marks. What do you intend to do when you grow older? Any career in mind? If not you are going to be planting cassava with the natives in the plantation."

In response I turned around and asked him, whether it was confirmed we were going on inter school sports competition that week on Friday. I can still picture the disbelieve on his face. Soccer and novels - cheering for the boys when they played soccer against a rival school, or reading novels were my only passion!

When visiting cousins, the first thing I would ask them, (the moment I would step into their house) was that, "Do you guys have any story books?" And I remember one day my cousin handing me a very thick volume titled "Helter Skelter" by Vincent Bugliosi, without me even asking for it (for a change!)...the moment I stepped into their house. It's story about Manson family murders...though it was gruesome, I found it very interesting.

I even broke boundaries! At thirteen or was it twelve (at that inquisitive age), I read “The Roman Woman” I think that was my uncle’s book, it was quite spicy. After my parents found out, of course I couldn’t face them as I felt so ashamed. But that didn’t stop me, I used to bribe my maid and ask her to buy me paper back romance novels. Frankly I didn’t have the guts to buy those books from the bookshop, the owner of the book shop happened to be our family friend. And if my mother found out…all hell would break loose.

One day my English teacher Ms Gursharan Kaur Singh, read an essay of mine out to the class, and predicated, “you will one day become a very good author.” Lets see….;)

At school I used to search the library for the thickest book, only because I hated abrupt short endings. I enjoyed heavy volume book which would take me at least a couple of days to complete. One day I was so hungry for a book and I couldn't find any, therefore I read one of my dad’s masterpiece from Alex Harley, The Roots, and at that time I was a very YOUNG teenager - about 13!

Then I took to reading my dad's Time Magazine, but the politics barely made any sense to me at that age, I ended up falling over Muammar Gaddif's pic LOL! I reckoned he looked extremely dashing in a military uniform back then. Why I even took it a step further and asked my younger sister to ask my dad, Gaddif's, age. :$ LOL!

What in heavens was I thinking. Frankly I could never see myself putting such a question forward to my dad, because of our strict upbringing and the fact that I had too much respect for him. My younger sister did pose that question to my dad but the girl didn't hesitate to say that it was me who wanted the information. I couldn't bring myself to look my dad in the eye, I was so embarrassed!!! I wanted to crawl in a corner and never rise from there. But my beloved dad, a man of few words now coming to think of it, I think somewhere in his heart, he understood me.

He merely smiled, shook his head and resumed reading The Time Magazine.

My parents went on a world tour trip and I thought ahaa freedom at long last! So I had borrowed novels from my next door neighbor and was reading with relish when one night my Nan sauntered into my bedroom. I tried to hide it but she snatched it from me and Lord knows where it went. Anyway the next day I put a brown paper cover over the romance book and wrote in big letters on the cover, “The last place God made.” Oh even today I can’t stop laughing when I think of that title. But I couldn’t fool her, the look on her face when she saw me reading, very clearly informed me that she knew what I was up too. Anyway this time, she didn’t take the book from me.

Over the years I have developed a certain taste for books, I don't know whether its a good think or not, but today I don't just pick up any novel. The books I read must be worthy my time and they have to be full of substance, certainly the content must have a lot of drama and challenges in the way of life......Wideacre by Philippa Gregory is my favorite book and till to date remains one.

The Indian Bride…is nothing like the books which I have read.....The Indian Bride is NOT some light paper back romance, having said that, there isn't anything wrong reading light paper back romances or crime fiction..., I suppose it's just a matter of taste.

The Indian bride is a novel which I classify a world apart from the books I've read….this novel shall linger on the mind of the readers for a long time, because that is precisely the effect I want to leave behind.

I'm very, very passionate about writing, and those who have read some chapters from The Indian Bride are absolutely hooked onto the book...I've been told by many that I posses a 'Gift.’ And I've received very encouraging and positive feedbacks from many people all over the world , but let me say just one little thing here...The Greatest Writer is GOD and pride only suits Him.

Humbleness and compassion for your fellow human beings and for the unprivileged goes a long way in life. Please don't take this as a piece of lecture, but we have a responsibility towards the society, in particularly towards the poorest countries in the nation that can't afford to nourish or cloth their people. If you can make a difference to one person's life...or ease someone’s grief, you are very lucky.

Remember Almighty God paves away for those who make way for others.