Welcome
Sourabh!
Your real name and pen name?
I write
with my real name – Sourabh Mukherjee
About your education
I went
to South Point High School in Kolkata. Being rather good at my studies, I had
been among the toppers all through school. I secured the 12th. position in the
State in my school-leaving examination. I then did my Bachelor of Engineering
in Electronics and Telecommunications at Jadavpur University in Kolkata, securing
a grade point of 8.8 across all semesters. I started working thereafter, and
about 5 years later, did my Post Graduate Diploma in Management from School of
Management Studies, New Delhi.
What languages you can speak and write?
I can speak and write in English, Hindi and
Bengali
What is your biggest source of inspiration in
life
The
biggest source of inspiration all my life has been my urge to excel in whatever
I do. Failures are part and parcel of the game and I look at every failure as a
learning experience.
What hurts you most in this world
I find
it very difficult to handle betrayal. Also, people who tend to be judgemental –
especially when their opinions are not backed by facts - are usually not my
favourites.
What is your favorite genre and why?
Crime
stories, especially ones that delve into human psychology, are my favourites.
When did you start writing? What is the purpose of
your writing?
I
started writing when I was 5. I have never really written for a purpose – it is
just something I love to do. In my early childhood, I would spend hours writing
(as well as making illustrations for my own stories). These days, writing is
often a cathartic experience for me. It helps give vent to my emotions and
create stories out of them. There is a bit of me in each one of my stories.
Which of your work has been published so far?
Would you like to share a synopsis of your work?
About
Matters of the Hurt: Love Stories - Round the Clock is my
first book of short stories that was published earlier this year.
It is a
collection of four unconventional love stories uniquely fitting in mood and
settings with four quarters of a day. The stories go beyond conventional
‘happily ever after’ endings and offer realistic views of the variety of
emotions one goes through when love comes calling. My own take on love and
relationships and my keen interest in the workings of the human mind account
for the manner in which love and its rituals are conducted in the stories.
The
stories in the book paint love in its various hues. They deal with human
emotions that readers can relate to. Many have nurtured unprofessed love in
their hearts for years, have struggled to cope with lost love, have allowed
their inner devils to ruin relationships, and have found love when they least
expected to.
In the
‘Afternoon Story,’ readers will get to know a woman who moves in and out of
relationships over the years, and a man who remains a silent and distant
witness to the course of her life, with unflinching faith in the honesty and
sanctity of his feelings for her. The ‘Evening Story’ is about a young,
successful entrepreneur nursing a broken heart. When the man in the ‘Night
story’ finally finds love, he has to battle his inner devils. The protagonist
in the ‘Morning Story’ has a highly romanticized vision of love that is often
disengaged from reality.
A slice
of life in the true sense, the book takes us on a soulful journey as we relive
loves lost or found or nurtured unprofessed in the deepest recesses of our
hearts,
What are your forthcoming writings?
I am
currently working on a novel, again on intricate human relationships.
What are your future plans?
I plan to write a collection of short stories
for children next.
What four top most things you take care of
while writing a book?
It is
important to create real, identifiable characters in a story – unless of course
one is writing a fantasy or a superhero story. Correct use of the language is
essential. An author should ensure that a story progresses at a uniform pace –
a story that slows down after an energetic start is a big let down. Finally, it
is not about the length but always about the impact of a story. I have read
1-page stories that have left me thinking for days.
Your origin of birth and other countries you
have visited/ stayed. What best things you liked in these countries around the
globe?
I was
born in Kolkata, India and have stayed here ever since. I have traveled widely
though.
I have
been in several parts of United States. Florida was deliciously cozy,
California was throbbing, Texas and Connecticut embodied for me the grand
Western, and Massachusetts, especially Boston, was very engaging as a seat of
culture and learning. I love the ‘larger-than-life’ feel in most parts of the
US. I was in Vegas last summer and it was pure joy – the most happening
celebration of life I have ever come across. I could only see happy faces all
around.
In
Europe, I have stayed in England and have been in Scotland and Brussels. I have
fond memories of breath-taking nature spots and it was a wonderful experience
soaking in the cultural and architectural heritage.
In most
of the other Asian countries I have been to – China, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia
- what has struck me is the extreme orderliness. I find people going about
their business like clock-work, and people also take justified pride in the
rich cultural heritage of the region.
Your favorite time of the day?
I have always been a night person.
Your zodiac/ sunsign?
I am a Capricorn.
Your favorite color and why?
Black and Blue – have never really tried to
find a reason though.
Your favorite book and why?
Too many to mention here.
Some quickies:
Sun or Moon
Moon
Laughter or Smile,
Smile
Morning or Evening,
Evening
Coffee or Tea,
Coffee
Mountain or Sea,
Mountain
Long Drive or Short Drive,
Long Drive
Silence or Conversation,
Silent conversations
Water or Fire,
Fire
Air or
Earth,
Earth from Air
Mars
or Jupiter, Moon
or Sun, Tulip or Rose,
Red or Blue,
Blue on me, Red on a woman
Left or Right,
Right
Glance or Stare
Depends on the object
What three words come to your mind for each –
Technology – music anywhere
Life – Rik, my son
God - best friend forever
Humanity – ability to love,
Terrorism – World Trade Center,
Racism – Endowing special favours,
Childhood Abuse – Beasts
inside us,
Love – Possessive, Irrational, Passionate
Parenting – God’s greatest gift,
Old age – Time to unwind – finally!
State your signature line/ tagline/ best quote
One does not find one’s soulmate—a soulmate ‘happens’
unannounced in some turn of the deliciously unpredictable journey called
‘life’, when one is not even groomed ‘for the occasion’.
The last line of your autobiography would be…
Let me put the pen down now – looks like I am
not going to hit the bucket anytime soon and this book is already too darned
long!
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