Fact in fiction

Saraswati,a school librarian,dies at work on a Thursday evening. This gives her time till Monday—when her body will be discovered—to play sutradhar for Pinki Virani’s first novel Deaf Heaven. Saraswati’s spirit watches over all the persons she holds dear—her sister Damayanti,wife of a superstar; Tisca,heroine spurned by a rising star; Qudsia Begum,Bangalore beautician and wise mother; Czaerandhari,erstwhile maharani and SMS-addict; hard-talking journalist Nafisa—over the weekend. With that the narrative moves across India and its canvass keeps expanding. And despite the quirky setting,the novel,true to the journalist-turned-writer’s oeuvre of work,delves into serious social and national concerns.

“It’s an extension of my previous books and the issues I have tackled,” says Virani,author of Aruna’s Story,Once was Bombay and Bitter Chocolate—all non-fictions. But she switched to fiction with Deaf Heaven as getting enough funds for non-fiction projects isn’t very easy. “In the case of Bitter Chocolate (which talks about child sexual abuse in middle and upper-class homes),I had sponsored my research and travelling,” says the author about the book which went on to win national and international accolades.

But even in the fictionalised format—her first novel that comes nearly nine years after Bitter Chocolate—Virani manages to bring up the issues which are close to her. “The book focuses on the contemporary history of India and dwells on the progress the nation could have made,” she reveals. The author,however,adopts a more political voice as she talks about holding politicians accountable.

The idea of the novel came about with Virani wanting to write on protection of children and women. Soon she realised that she can’t ignore men and the national issues. So these became part of her novel where “the forces of old Bharat battle with India”.

With the book,Virani will score a first—Deaf Heaven is set to be the first literary cell-novel and adult audio-mobile book. “They are meant for those who never pick up a book as well as avid readers,” she says.

Even before the novel reaches bookstands,the author started working on her second novel—Bloody Hell,a literary diptych to Deaf Heaven as well as a stand-alone novel. From the brief teaser that she allows us to this novel,it’s clear that the book will retain her trademark tone.