Where did the story idea come from?
This is the question I have been asked most often. And there is an interesting story behind the story.
On a hot summer day when I was in the eighth grade, I followed my older brother, Sashi Kumar, to serve as a volunteer at a public literary event in Kochi that featured the famous Malayalam writer, Sukumar Azhikode. After the event, my brother and I saw a young girl standing in line to meet the famous writer. She stood out because she was wearing a head covering of some sort, and for her youth — she must have been just a few years older than my brother. For reasons I cannot comprehend or explain, that fuzzy image — an ageing writer at the pinnacle of his fame and a young, unknown female fan hoping to have a word with him— stayed in my mind.
Over the years I have imagined multiple storylines around these two characters. How did he develop the ability to speak and write with such eloquence? Could he have been a freedom fighter? Maybe a future chief minister of Kerala? Was she just a reader or a die-hard fan? Was she somehow related to him? Maybe a secret admirer?
Decades passed with my questions unresolved. I secretly tucked away these little nuggets of creative thoughts in my mind, and whenever time permitted, I revived them and nurtured the storyline. This image— of a famous author and a fan —i s the seed from which my novel, Girl with Scarlet Hijab, emerged. The author and the girl in the hijab are among the important characters. I hope you get a change to read the book and let me know what you think.