Love Lores

For those of you who are not reaching out for Dan Brown’s latest and fancy curling up with a love story that requires no code to crack,keep your eyes peeled for the Kama Kahini series (Random House India) that has been launched this month. A series of Harlequin-styled historical romances written by desi authors might just be what the doctor ordered for a broken heart,or to combat heartburn after a heavy Sunday brunch.

If Ghazal in the Moonlight by Alessandra Shahbaz is about an independent princess in Lucknow who disguises herself as a courtesan to escape marriage to a British officer,The Zamindar’s Forbidden Passion by Jasmine Saigal features an affair between a Bengali school teacher’s daughter and a zamindar and Mistress to the Yuvraj by Sanyogita Rathore is a lush love story set in the glorious landscape of Rajasthan. The final book Captive Hearts by Kiran Kohl is yet to be published and is about a bandit and a Punjabi belle. “The best thing about writing this was the therapy it provided. It forced me to stop being cynical about love and to let myself dream about the kind of relationship that can triumph over seemingly impossible barriers,” says Shahbaz,30,a teacher by day,who was recovering from a heartbreak while writing her book.

For Rathore,the inspiration for her Rajput romance came from the family. “My maternal grandfather ruled one of the five hundred and sixty eight princely states but overnight,his world crumbled,when his state got absorbed into India immediately after Independence. The garh was a fascinating place,a sensual feast of colors,sounds and sights,” says Rathore,26,who creates a royal universe,where clandestine affairs are conducted under a moonlit sky,in the midst of sprawling palaces and majestic forts. Kohli,27,who has a glamorous day job working for a high profile fashion designer in New York,admits that she enjoyed the freedom of the genre while writing. “You are encouraged to employ hyperbole,to consider the thesaurus your bible,to recreate sexual tension and passion on the page,” she says. The books are priced at Rs 150 each.