The Homecoming

Born into a family with strong Army ties,Srinivasan,now in her 40s,grew up in cantonment towns across the country. Her debut novel gives a unique glimpse into the Army culture,its social life and discipline,the hospitality of the people and the traditions that uphold authority and valour. “The settings and backdrops are real,for I lived this life,but the novel is not autobiographical,” says the Mumbai-based full-time writer,in Chandigarh at her parental home for a break. An alumnus of IIM,Ahmedabad and working first with Unilever in Mumbai and then in Hong Kong till 2004,the road from corporate to literary life has been an enjoyable one for her.

Srinivasan tells the story of Parvati,whose perfect world crumbles in front of her eyes as a bomb falls on her house in Ambala in the 1971 war,leaving her orphaned. Twenty years later,she returns to 169,The Mall,Ambala Cantt to make peace with her past and loss,reliving the times and also discovering secrets that would transform her life.

The literary scene and literature festivals in Hong Kong inspired Srinivasan to write. “I was drawn to sessions like how to write,to people who were writing and exploring interesting alternatives. I began writing travel stories,with new cultures,places,experiences opening a vista of surprises,” she says.

Does she miss corporate life? “Not at all,writing is what I want to do now. A degree and experience is an armour that keeps the road open. The discipline and method that a corporate job teaches you is always useful,” she says,adding that her next novel is based in Punjab during the years of terrorism. “It’s a story of a man who is drawn to terrorism and the woman who brings him back,” she adds.