An Interview with Harshita Srivastava, author of Bad Romance!!!

 Harshita Srivastava has been a Blogger since a long time and recently, she published her second book. We found an opportunity of asking her how has been her journey from a Blogger to a published author. Do read to know why her latest book is garnering huge compliments and praises. 

1. Hello Harshita, how has been your experience of switching from being a Blogger to an Author?

Ah! A bit on the sore side. As a blogger, I enjoyed more liberty and freedom of thoughts. I was my own celebrity. I did have a duty towards my readers like I do even now but there was less pressure. Now that the stature has increased, there are added responsibilities. Sales figures, promotions and events have taken a big part of my brains which has left little space for my creative thoughts to swim around freely. That being said, I wouldn’t say that I don’t enjoy being an author. It is my dream come true and the path has definitely become easier since the day Pulkit Gupta came my angel publisher.

2. What do you enjoy most- writing blogs or books? No Diplomacy please!

I like writing stories, doesn’t really matter if it’s my blog or book. However, yes, bringing out a story in the form of book is a tedious task as compared to posting up a blog post.

3. What motivated you to write “Bad Romance”? 

I had been in search of a story after the release of my debut work, One in a Million. While my first book was on a lighter note, I did not want this one to be on similar grounds. I wanted to write something different. I wished to talk about reality, the dark side of our lives, the part we never discuss about. The idea was to bring a character that goes beyond the convention. Fortunately, Kritika came into my life at that point and helped me grow my plot. Gradually, things began to shape up and the story picked up speed.  I researched a lot on victims of emotional abuse, what they grow through and what it takes to conquer the same. The year 2013 and half of 2014 saw me completely engrossed in this story. However, here I’d like to say that Bad Romance wouldn’t have been possible without the help of a few people in my life. 

4. Was it difficult in writing few personal moments of a girl publicly and still trying to sound innocent and genuine? 

Extremely difficult. I had a lot of audience to answer to. I was stuck in the conflict of doing justice to the story or fearing of the consequences such writing could bring about. I am glad I chose the former. Initially I was too hesitant but then after listening to the plot, one of my friends, Pratyush Prakash told me that unless you give your all to the story, you can never be a true writer. Since then I never looked back.

I have faced opposition for what I wrote, being told that it was a publicity gimmick but I have taken it all in the stride because I know that I have spoken for a hundreds of silent hearts. My writing is a struggle against silence. However brutal it may be, it is always honest. 

5. What would be your reaction if you are been treated by your boyfriend like Vikrant treats the protagonist of your book in Bad Romance?

It takes a lot of courage to fight for yourself, to go against a person you love yet hate at the same time. A victim of emotional abuse is too trapped and way too difficult to understand. What revolves in your head and heart never matches. When you’re committed to a man with split personality, you cannot even take help from outside because the picture there is altogether different. It’s extremely exhausting to decide when one minute the man abuses you and the second minute becomes the most lovable man. 

I believe even I’d have needed a lot of strength within to go against a guy like Vikrant. Ages back I learnt something from life, “You and only you can get yourself out of the misery you lie in.”

I tend to implement it every time life throws me its ball.

6. What did you personally went through while writing that rape scene?

Writing the book has been a real depressing task for me. I shut myself in a flat all alone for two months straight to bring this book’s first draft. Every day, I suffered migraine attacks for this book. Every single scene I wrote in this book is a result of extreme control over my thought process. I began to see the dark side of life, I began to think like Kritika, incorporating her ways of life in my life so as to write exactly how she felt. 

Writing the rape scene was a herculean task. I have no idea how many rape stories I had to read. Every victim had their own story and each story was enough to give you sleepless nights. Our country houses a number of rape victims inside marriage or relationships and a few have been courageous enough to speak about it. If they wouldn’t have talked about it, the writing of that scene would have been impossible.

7. What has been the best compliment you have gotten for Bad Romance?

Once I got a mail saying ‘Bad Romance’ motivated a girl to get out of emotional abuse. She profusely thanked me for giving her the strength she thought she never had. What else would I have asked for! If you have contributed towards the betterment of someone’s life, you have definitely succeeded as a human being.

8. Do your parents read your book?

Reading is a habit that my parents had inculcated in me since childhood. My mom and dad are voracious readers. My dad is a scientist and devours books like anything although he’s not into fiction reading. I have never found my Mum without a book in her free time. My mother has read me since I was a kid and she continues to do so. I still don’t know if my dad has read my books or not though I have been told that he picked up my debut novel one night after everyone had slept 

9. What are you thinking to write in your next flick?

It’s too early to say something but yes, there’s a travelogue I am working on (all thanks to my association with a travel portal) and then there’s a another compilation wherein I’ll talk to all the significant and insignificant people of our lives through the written word.

10. Any words for your fans who liked Bad Romance?

It took me a lot of efforts to bring out this book and I am really thankful to all of you for appreciating a story that was so dark. I know we often look for happiness but this book brought around a part of society that people don’t wish to talk about and mostly brush it aside. I am so glad that you put your trust in my words and gave me a stature I had never dreamt of. I am nothing without you guys. Thank you!