Vibha Vyas made a brilliant entry into the world of writing with her excellent debut novel “Let the Rain kiss you”. The book deals with complex human relationships, emotions and journey towards enlightenment. Vibha has won several hearts across the country with her sensible and beautiful handling of a bold subject of relationship, love and bitterness.
In a candid conversation with Susmita Bose, Vibha reveals on many facets of her unknown persona. Spectralhues wishes her glorious success and hopes she would come up with many more remarkable books.
Congratulations on the success of your debut novel ‘Let the Rain Kiss You’. What kind of response you are receiving?
Everyone who got in touch with me after reading the book told me that it kept them hooked till the last page. Many of them said that the Sahni household felt like a family in the neighborhood. Some of them said that even after they were done with the reading, they could not take the story off their minds for a long time.
For a writer, there can’t be anything more gratifying than getting this type of feedback from the readers.
Tell us how much your life changed after the release of your book…
Life, in general, has not changed as such. But yes, once in a while when someone recognizes me in a public place and comes up to me, it really gives a good feeling. Then there are days when suddenly and unexpectedly I receive a message or an email from a reader, it makes my day!
Was the story in ‘Let the Rain Kiss You’ completely fictional?
No. In fact, a large part of the book is based on true stories.
What was the motivation behind this story?
The story has a very strong message. I wanted to tell it in a way that not only entertained the readers but made them think too. That was the challenge as well the motivation.
The title is very interesting. How did you hit upon it?
It is actually the opening line of a poem by Langston Hughes. I felt it perfectly suited the story.
Who is your favourite character in the story?
It has to be Ranbir. He’s the man all three Sahni sisters are in love with. He’s the kind of man every girl dreams of. The idea behind his character was to show the contrast. If you look at other characters, Kiran and Kajal are highly self obsessed. Komal is shy and timid. Kittu is a rebel, and Vivek is completely lost and clueless about his life. They are results of different styles of parenting. Ranbir is an example of what you can achieve if you let your child grow at his own pace, with just the right amount of love and care. His parents have been shown to share very cordial relationship, and it reflects in his own personality and dealings.
You have dealt with lots of different characters and their complex relationships. How difficult is to give enough depth to each character?
It is definitely important to give depth and definition to each character, but I don’t think it’s difficult. To a writer, it comes naturally in the process.
What is your personal take on Kiran’s suicide?
It was a waste of a life that had tremendous possibilities. Committing suicide for a reason as small as not clearing the UPSC exam in first attempt is completely meaningless. It depicted her inner insecurities hidden behind a very confident and endearing personality. She believed that she was born to succeed, that failure was something for the lesser mortals. This was an extremely flawed outlook towards life.
Vibha Vyas
Rain becomes the integral part of the progress of your story. How does that happen?
Rain, that is actually a life nurturing force, is considered inauspicious by the Sahni family because they are so entrapped in their own inner knots and tangles that they do not see beyond the obvious. It starts with the matriarch of the family, and then the future generations also continue believing that rain is a bad omen for them until one of them achieves enlightenment under the gushing rain. I used ‘rain’ as a direct metaphor in the story.
What is the message you wanted to convey through ‘Let the Rain Kiss You’?
The formative years of a child have a direct bearing on the kind of adult he/she will become. If we do not teach our children how to handle failures, setbacks or heartbreaks, we haven’t really taught them anything.
Being a debutant author did you face any kind of difficulties with publishing the book?
It’s certainly not easy to get a fair evaluation of your proposal if you are a debutant author. I remember how enthusiastically I had sent the manuscript to two of the biggest publishing houses, and both of them turned it down without assigning a reason. The third publisher rejected it as well but at least gave me an insight into my work saying that it was a little too intense. I was further advised that first time writers had better chances if they wrote campus stories or something ‘easy on the senses’, a la Chetan Bhagat.
But after these three rejections, I got an acceptance from two publishing houses, and it reaffirmed my belief in what I had written.
Tell us something about yourself. What interests you other than writing?
A little weird, a little moody, complicated at times but very much happy-go-lucky and predictable otherwise. That defines me. Other than writing, I enjoy reading, watching good movies and listening to old Hindi melodies. Certain aspects of designing interior spaces also interest me a lot.
What kind of books you like to read?
I read everything. The only genre I can’t stand is sci-fiction.
Have you started planning for your next book? What would be the subject?
I’m about to complete the first draft. This one is about a set of people who are either enamored or hounded by their past to the extent that it starts affecting their present and future.
Any message for Spectralhues readers…
Keep reading. If you love books, you’ll never be lonely. 🙂
Thank you Vibha for your time. Wish you all the best for your future works.
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