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| Saumya Misra |
Read up, the first part of the
Interview with Saumya Misra, the author of 'A Grey Story'. In this
one, she tells us how the book first happened, how Surya, the lead character
came about, how she came up with the core idea of the book before developing
it, what the challenging parts of the book were, and particular incidents in the book, that she felt she could relate to.
There is much more to come
in the second part of this Interview, Folks…
How
did ‘A Grey Story’ happen? Could you
describe the journey?
‘A Grey Story’ is the result of what I have
perceived in certain families around me. In the book I have dramatised the
outcomes, in reality I have seen the ‘victim’ – or should I say ‘protagonist’—just
get into a shell and lead a miserable life, and, believe me, such a ‘victim’
can be a very, very talented person who, if given a chance, could have outshone
many in a number of fields. This is what pained me
into writing this novel.
Why is society so callous towards individuals
who are a little different from others? Why should there be such a lack of
concern for a single person? Even family members—in fact mostly family
members—are the ones to exploit timid, sensitive souls.
How did the main character, Surya come about? And what about the
sisters and brothers?
Like I said, this novel may be a fiction but I have
borrowed heavily from real life. I have seen a couple of real-life Surya’s and
her kind of brothers and sisters.
This work is my way of telling
the world that not everyone is blind to the plight of such people and if the
society continues to treat certain ‘special’ kids with such disdain, the
outcome can be very scary.
I even spoke to a couple
of psychiatrists and they also said shabby treatment at an impressionable age
can be very damaging. Thus, if you wish to turn into a parent, you should know
your duties and responsibilities towards your children. No two kids can be
brought up in a similar manner. It is the primary duty of the parents to
understand the psychology and nature of their kids and ‘lead’ them accordingly.
What according to you is different about your book?
My book is different as it is not a narrative of
‘events’ or ‘outcomes’ but of ‘circumstances’. It is the tale of how a child can be unintentionally or
intentionally be ‘harmed’ by one’s own family. Thus the cover page design—the
hand with a chopped finger symbolises a disjointed family where one member has
been harmed beyond repair.
It also propagates the idea of small families, where
at least one parent should be committed to looking after the kids and bringing
them up in the right manner. These
days, with nuclear families and working parents, there are greater chances of
special kids getting a raw deal.
Which particular character did you feel most close
to? Why?
I do not feel close to
any character. That is the reason I have been able to look at the subject with
an unbiased mind. I have highlighted the mindset of each individual
and not painted some black and others white.
My characters are all
grey, which is the colour of the human being. I have researched well and dealt
with the topic in a detached manner.
Any particular incidents in the book, that you feel
you could relate to? Why?
There has not been any similar incident in my life
but in the lives of a couple of people I know. I have seen individuals suffer for no fault of theirs
but because it provided pleasure to their ‘near and dear’ ones. Such raw deals
have to be exposed and people must be made aware that if they see families
where a particular person is being made a scapegoat, they should speak up.
You can Read the Review right here, and Buy the Book here, as well.
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