Author Interview: Shribala: Author of Y?Me: Capturing Trauma of 26/11 in Mumbai

Shribala is a finance professional with professional degrees in accountancy, company law, and general law. She has worked in several industries, of course! IT segment and has 16 years of post qualification experience. Her hobbies include playing Carnatic music on the violin, art & crafts and cooking. She lives with her Architect husband and two lovable school going daughters in Chennai, where she is currently employed. 

Welcome, Shribala!

Your real name and pen name

Pen name – Shribala, real name to be revealed later . . .

Please share some of the best memories of your childhood

Happy moments with my father and uncle, climbing guava tree in Ramakrishna mutt, participating in school drama and sports activities and learning to cook from my uncle

About your education

Bachelor of Arts, Chartered Accountant, Company Secretary, Law Graduate and diploma in Arbitration Management

What career did you plan during your education days

To become IPS Officer

What languages you can speak and write?

Speak, read & Write - English, Hindi, Tamil

Only speak – Kannada and Malayalam

What is your biggest source of inspiration in life

Swami Vivekananda as I am a disciple of Ramakrishna mutt from my childhood days

What hurts you most in this world

Corruption

What is the biggest challenge you have faced? How did you overcome it?

College Admission, in spite of good scores in all the subjects I could not get admission because of reservation.  There is no human solution to overcome quota and reservation even today.  I would say I overcame through god’s intervention.

If you had to live a day of your life as one of the living or dead personality, who would it be and why?

Obviously Swami Vivekananda, because I would know how to perceive this world especially India as it is Today.

What is your favorite genre and why?

Saga, Romantic Thriller, and Philosophy as in all these three genres the underlining factor is human emotions.  I like to analyze human emotions.

When did you start writing? What is the purpose of your writing?

In the year 2010 because I felt hapless being a common man

Which of your work has been published so far? Would you like to share a synopsis of your work?

Novel  Y?Me…

‘Y?Me’ is a story that captures the trauma of 26/11 in Mumbai and some of the lives affected by this. Like many of us aghast Sindhuja despairingly asked, ‘Why Me’ after being hit by a bullet, on the ill-fated night of 26/11, only to have nightmares and hallucinations – as her best companions. Sindhuja Srinivasan, finance professional and a part time chef is hit by a bullet on 26/11, in Mumbai.

She is rescued and undergoes a major surgery for survival. Her serene life takes a major jolt when she is forced to break her four-year-old engagement with her fiancé. She decides to move to her father’s hometown to start afresh. It was but natural to meet Dr.Ranjit Rajaratnam. Her life becomes a roller coaster ride filled with comical and romantic interludes.

But little did she know that he is carrying his own past baggage, which is much heavier than here is. Enigma haunts them both, as their own pasts intercept the well-oiled machine- ‘life’. She is shattered when he refuses to believe her. Will destiny bring the two of them together as a couple?

What are your forthcoming writings?

Currently working on the script – Crystal Maze (working title)

What are your future plans?

Continue writing and start a thematic fine dining

What four top most things you take care of while writing a book?

Simple language so that everybody can understand

Well defined characters

Fast paced sequences

Consistency in narration

Your dream destination on Earth?

Venice - explore the Grand Canal by a gondola

Your origin of birth and other countries you have visited/ stayed.

What best things you liked in these countries around the globe?

Origin -India

Countries visited - Srilanka, Singapore, and  Thailand

Srilanka  - Cleanliness

Singapore –Discipline and cleanliness

Thailand – Shopping

Your favorite time of the day?

6 PM I do self-introspection sipping aromatic hot cup of filter coffee

Your zodiac/ sun sign?

Gemini

Your favorite color and why?

Green as it means to balance, prosperity and growth.  It is a symbol of nature

Your favorite book and why?

Fountain Head by Ayn Rand, in my view it’s the best depiction of human emotions and teaches you to be yourself.

Your favorite celebrity and why?

Aamir Khan  because of his honesty

Your favorite food?

Indian and Italian

Some quickies:

Sun or Moon

Sun as it’s the truth

Laughter or Smile

Laughter as smile can be deceiving

Morning or Evening

Evening as its closer to serenity

Coffee or Tea

Coffee

 Mountain or Sea

Mountain – as I can see varied emotions of Mother Nature

Long Drive or Short Drive

Long drive as I can unwind

 Silence or Conversation

Conversation if it can resolve an issue, silence when I am right.

Water or Fire

Water as it’s refreshing

 Air or Earth

Earth – Mother

Mars or Jupiter

Maybe Venus

 Tulip or Rose

Rose for its fragrance

 Red or Blue

Red as it depicts truth

Left or Right

Right

Glance or Stare

Stare is straight while glance can be scheming at times

What three words come to your mind for each –

Technology – Man’s invention for his own rise and fall

Life – Enjoy and Live it

God – feel within

Humanity – should be one’s own life

Terrorism- to be removed from dictionary

Racism – fear and selfish motive of an underachiever

Childhood Abuse – Inhuman

Love - Sharing

Parenting – God’s gift  

Old age – age beautifully

State your signature line/ tagline/ best quote

Memorable moments are shared

The last line of your autobiography would be…

and now she lives in a corrupt free country called India . . .

Weblinks
www.shribala.com
http://shribalayme.blogspot.in/
https://sites.google.com/site/shribalayme/