Churning romance in catastrophe!

Born to Bengali and Gujarati parents, Ishita Deshmukh grew up on a steady diet of Tamil culture and French literature in Puducherry. If that wasn’t enough, she is married to a Telugu bidda. She is a polyglot and can switch between six different languages in the course of a conversation. 

She is a multi-tasking marketing professional who currently runs a small home business in Singapore and helps with her family business back home at Puducherry. Ishita has penned ‘Heart Quake’, the first of many delicious fares from her literary cauldron.

Excerpts from an interview

Tell us about ‘Heart Quake’.
‘Heart Quake’ is a love story situated during the Bhuj earthquake in 2001. Sonal Patel, a nurse, rushes to Bhuj in search of her best friend and to be a part of a medical camp. Dr Tejas Desai is in Bhuj for his new hospital. Fate orchestrates their meeting but are they free to choose their destiny?

How would you describe Sonal and Tejas to a stranger?
Sonal is a competent nurse and takes pride in her professionalism. At the same time, she is emotional and very loyal to her family and friends. 

Tejas is ambitious and a very talented surgeon. He is goal-driven and a good businessman. Those qualities also translate into his personal life, wherein he is determined to win his love. 

How long does it take for you write a book?
It took two years to write the first manuscript, but several years to get to the 15th version. I started writing in 2006. Later, I dropped it to do my MBA and work in an MNC. It was only after resigning from the corporate life, that I took up writing very seriously and completed the book.  

Do you plan it all out in advance, or do you let the story take its own course?
Yes, in general, I plan out everything in advance. ‘Heart Quake’ came out of a short story I had written in 2001 as a class assignment. So, even in this case, everything was planned out in advance. 

How much research goes into writing each book?
It depends on the kind of story one writes and the kind of person one is. Personally, I like to research every angle of the story. The medical background of ‘Heart Quake’ was finalised after consulting several websites as well as a doctor. Similarly, for other situations, I spoke to several people to get their feedback.  

What are the ingredients for a good story?
It is difficult to generalise as every genre will have its main ingredients. I also think that the tastes of readers have changed with the times. 

What’s next for you?
Currently, I am concentrating on writing some blogs and plotting the next novel. 

- Sourced exclusively for  The Hans India