Bhavya Kaushik whose debut novel ‘The Other Side Of The Bed’ released this January has been into writing since the past twelve years. He likes to describe himself as a fanatic who denies to just pass through different notions of life as he believes in living each and every moment of it at its best. He completed his Bachelors in Technology under JECRC foundation and is currently pursuing his Masters in the same field from Manipal University, Jaipur.
Over the past few years, he has been a very active member of different media, communication and non-government organizations, as he considers that serving the society is the best way to attain salvation and peace. Blogging is also a very integral part of his life, as his blog is being followed by thousands of people where he share about his bare feelings and also helps his fellow bloggers to have a different perception towards their lives. He has also published his work online at numerous web-portals and literary magazines.
Bhavya’s book is already a National Bestseller. The idea of writing a book on Jaipur blasts stands very unique. His amazing writing style and narration is already creating a rage in the market. In a chit chat with Harshita Srivastava, Bhavya reveals his experiences while writing his first novel and his plans for future.
Q: How long have you been into writing? And how did it all get started?
It has been almost 12 years now since I’m writing. It all started when I was in standard VII, and I was asked to write a poem for a recitation competition. Although I didn’t win that contest, but the joy and relief which I experienced after writing something was incomparable. It was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life, so I started my blog a year after that, and then there was no looking back.
Q: The book deals with the families of Jaipur blasts victims. How did the idea of writing ‘The Other Side of The Bed’ erupt in your mind?
I always wanted to write something different for my debut, and I did a research and found that there was absolutely nothing written on Jaipur blasts. Also, Jaipur being my hometown possesses a very significant place in my heart. I wanted to write something close to realism and something which can create a difference. Hence, writing about the lives of all those victims, and the defined 5 stages of grief was the best way to touch the lives of my readers according to me.
Q: How did you land up with the title of the book?
The title came to me when I was almost finished writing the novel, and it was only in the end when I realized that the side of the bed where the protagonist’s wife used to sleep was not just a physical reminder of her absence for Nakul, but it was also a symbolism of Nakul’s grief, and played a very vital role in his journey from denial to acceptance. In a way I found that the entire novel was revolving around that empty side of the bed, and that is when I realized that the title was splendidly justifying the story.
Q: The characters in a novel are often inspired from people in real life. Who inspired the character of ‘Nakul’ and ‘Devyani’? And how close is Bhavya to ‘Nakul’?
You can really conclude that Nakul is a reflection of me. We share the same career objectives, sense of sensibility and perception towards almost everything. He is partly who I’m. On the other hand, the character of Devyani is based upon a friend of mine, who went through with something similar in her life. In fact, each and every character in this novel has been inspired from real people – who ended up touching my life.
Q: How long did you take to write the book?
It took me almost a month to write it completely. But in that duration of time, I did nothing but writing and editing. Sometimes I used to write for 18 hours a day.
Q: While writing this piece did you personally meet the blast victims? How was the experience?
Yes, I got the privilege to meet and interview some of the victims personally. It was a life changing experience and I could not have written my book in absolution without been inspired from their stories. Each and every morning I thank Almighty for blessing me with a beautiful family and caring friends. Their stories made me realize that every day counts and every person matters. Life is too short to hold any grudges or to have any regrets.
Q: How has life changed after getting the ‘author’ tag?
There are days when I feel different – happier than ever. In my city, people have started recognizing me when I go out and it feels special to be invited at some privileged places. But frankly speaking, in totality my life is still the same. I still live in the same house, wear the same clothes, study in the same university and hangout with my same old bunch of friends. Having this ‘author’ tag is like adding a thick piece of icing on my life’s cake.
Q: Do you plan to take up full time writing some day?
If things will go according to the plan, then some day may be I will take writing as a full time job. But over the time, I have realized that long term success doesn’t come over night. So I’m taking one step at a time, and if it is in God’s plan, then maybe I will get there one day.
Q: Are you working on a second novel?
I have only written a couple of pages of it, but I’m already excited about the story. The story and especially the narration will be very different from my debut work, because it will be narrated from the perception of a lady, and that is something which I have never done. I do not want to spill the beans here, but it will be based upon a very controversial issue.
Q: Did you expect such a tremendous response for your book?
I never thought that the book will do so well in the market or that it will be appreciated so much by my readers. I’m completely thankful to my friends, my readers and most importantly my publishers for literally converting my dreams into reality.
Q: As a first time author, what obstacles did you face while writing your book and getting it published?
This is only that my close friends know, but when I was 15, I wrote my first novel and I send the proposal to some selected publication houses that were known at that time. I intentionally didn’t mention my age in that proposal because I wanted them to take the proposal seriously. Also my major motive was not to get published at that time, but it was to learn. I received a lot of constructive criticism for my work, which made me a better writer.
I implemented that experience when I started writing The Other Side of the Bed in 2012, and I was fortunate enough to be accepted by a number of publication houses. Luckily, everything came out very easily for me and after my manuscript was accepted, the publisher was both kind and professional enough to take care of everything.
Q: What advice would you like to give to budding writers?
I think that the learning process never stops, because even I find myself learning new things each and every day. Nevertheless, I would like to tell this to all the budding writers that never give up on yourself. If you think that your work is good enough, then prove it – and prove it with your writing. Believe in yourself, believe that your work is good and believe that you will make it one day – then only the world will believe you.
Thank you so much for taking out time for us. The team of Spectralhues wishes you all the very best for your future endeavours.
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