Mayura Amarkant Interview – Author of Trapped in Heaven & Other Stories

Today, we are having an interview with Mayura Amarkant, author of Trapped in Heaven & Other Stories.

Introduction of Mayura Amarkant

People perceive Mayura Amarkant a happy, positive, & warm person. She’s an introvert, who loves mimicking people. She’s resourceful and known to come up with solutions for complex problems at work and in personal life.

Mayura is an entrepreneur, writer, and promoter of a theatre group in Mumbai. She has been writing for more than two decades in diverse fields. She has won accolades in Digital Marketing and in sports. She writes at DiaryOfAnInsaneWriter.

About Trapped in Heaven & Other Stories by Mayura Amarkant

Trapped in Heaven and Other Stories is her debut book, which explores the complexities of love and relationships across the spectrum. Love need not be romantic love between two people only. It could be love between a mother and child. Or, a love affair between an inanimate object & a person. It could also be love for one’s captor. It could also mean love for orgasm only.

The book is a collection of nine stories, and they are gonna make you think. It deals with mature content but is not erotica and is not recommended for the children.

Details of Trapped in Heaven & Other Stories by Mayura Amarkant
Title	Trapped in Heaven & Other Stories
Author	Mayura Amarkant
Genre	Romance Fiction
Sub-genre	Relationship
No. of Words	12K (Approx)
Reading Time	70 min (Approx)
Format	Kindle
Available at	Amazon

Interview with Mayura Amarkant — Author of Trapped in Heaven & Other Stories

Welcome, Mayura! Thanks for sparing time for your readers who would like to know about you & your book Trapped in Heaven & Other Stories. Tell us how you got the name Abdul.

Hahaha…Abdul…you have researched a lot about me!! A friend once told me, “Har cheez jaanna jaruri nahi hai, lekin yeh jaanna jaruri hai ki uss cheez ko jaanta kaun hai!” (It’s not necessary to know everything, but it’s important to know who would know the thing that you need to know.) This mantra determined the path ahead for me.

I worked on becoming the most resourceful person that I know. Anyone who has met me would know that I connect instantly with people. I also invest a lot of time in maintaining relations with people beyond the purpose of work. As a result, people approach me for just about anything.

There is a character in the movie ‘Shaan’ called Abdul. He keeps an eye on everyone and knows almost everything about everyone. People started calling me Abdul after I turned resourceful for almost everyone I know.

Love and Marriage

As per John Gray, Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus, then what is the need for them to live together on earth? What’s your take on it? How do you see the institution of marriage? What is love for you?

Hahahahaha! Brilliant question! Men and Women both live in their own heavens and it’s the eternal bond of love that brings them together.  

I believe that each gender has its part to play in this world. Traditionally, the woman cooks, and the man hunts for bread. Reversing these roles doesn’t reverse genders. There is an inherent beauty of each gender, and I believe that we need to work hard to preserve it.

I see the institution of marriage as a sacrosanct bond between two individuals. The moment a third person is allowed access, things start going haywire in a marriage. This third person could be a parent, friend, child, or an extramarital affair.

Love is part of marriage, but it spreads far beyond marriage as well. To me, love is a very vague word. One can love inanimate objects like a car, a motorcycle, a dresser. A person can feel intense love for a relative, friend, colleague, or spouse. Experiences, memories, thoughts, ambitions and dreams – one can be in love with either or all of them. There is so much and so little that love can offer.

To me, love is this warm, fuzzy feeling that creeps within one’s heart whenever one thinks of the particular place, person, thing, or experience.

Why do you choose the theme of love for your book?

Romance as a genre works better with readers. However, there are more heartbroken people than those in love. So, writing a book on love, longing, and relationships was a conscious decision I made.

Honestly, I wanted my readers to look beyond romantic love and explore its different aspects. As I said earlier, love is a vague word and one can feel love towards people, places, objects, and experiences. There are so many shades and languages of love and exploring them through the stories was a fun process.

As your book is all about love stories, we’d like to know about your love story. How did a Christian girl end up marrying a Jain boy when both were like chalk & cheese?

Hahahahahaha…well, yes, Amarkant and I are totally different personalities. He is from North Bombay, and I am a pucca SoBo girl.

We belong to different financial, religious, and socio-economic backgrounds. There were many who said that the wedding wouldn’t last for more than a year. However, we are still in love after 2 decades. We met at an event during my MBA days and then bonded over cutting chai and Parle G biscuits.

I think what makes our marriage work is Amarkant’s patience and my positivity. We are both extremely tenacious and can smile through the biggest problems in life. Being best friends, we share everything with each other. Transparency and a non-judgmental attitude have helped our bond to flourish. It’s been a fun ride so far. 🙂

Idea & Inspiration for the Book

How do you get the idea of writing Trapped in Heaven & Other Stories?

I always wanted to be an author. About a decade ago, I wrote a novel. It was rejected by more than 15 publishers. I then turned to blog writing and used to publish my poems, short stories, and articles on my blog.

When BlogChatterEbook Carnival came along, I decided to publish my rejected novel through it. When my 15-year-old, extremely critical son, saw it, he suggested a million changes. That’s when I turned to my short stories. I wrote short stories with a central theme of love and longing and got them published at the carnival.

Having been rejected by so many top publications, I needed the positivity and confidence and the ebook carnival gave me just that.

Did any of your inspiration for this book originate in your real-life experiences?

I meet a lot of people who have enriched my life with their experiences. My own life has been a roller coaster of sorts. So, while a lot of the characters, situations, and experiences are relatable, none of them are from my own life. Contrary to what people believe about me, I am an introvert and love my own company. I mull over discussions, experiences, situations, relationships whenever I am alone. These magically take shape of stories and flow out of my pen.

Any interesting thing that happened during writing Trapped in Heaven & Other Stories that you might want to share.

My 15-year-old son, helped me with 2 rounds of editing. He marked out the portions using different colors—he even allocated marks to each story. He discussed each plot with me and asked me 100s of questions. It was interesting to rediscover my book through his eyes.

It was fun to connect with my teenager over topics that normally make a mother and son uncomfortable. Since my son is also my best friend, it made my journey enjoyable.

What difficulties do you face during writing the book, and how do you overcome them?

When one writes for an audience, one is always second-guessing everything. It took me a while to remove myself from this mindset. I trained my mind with lots of difficulties and started writing a book that I would love to read.

Writing Journey

You have been writing since your childhood. How do you see the ability to connect with others through writing? Is this ability a skill that could be developed, or is it a gift of God?

People who meet me say that I am a fantastic talker. But, people who know me say that I am a better writer. As I told you, I am an introvert who loves her own company. It allows me to write in a way that connects with others.

Writing has nothing to do with birth or development. One needs to feel before putting pen to paper. Words are just a vehicle to give voice to those feelings. Anyone who understands and implements this can be a good writer.

When did you first find out that there’re some feelings that needed some voice? Tell us about your writing journey?

I was extremely close to my grandfather. He passed away when I was only 11 years old. As a child, I remember sitting at his feet listening to the myriad stories that he would narrate from the Bible. He would also tell me stories about his childhood. I would listen to him in awe.

I was 7 years old when I wrote a short story laced with humor. It got published in the school magazine. I remember my grandfather rejoicing. He used to make me stand on the bed and narrate stories and poems. After my short story got published, he would make me cook up my own poems and stories. Standing on the table or bed and narrating them was a daily routine.

After he passed away, I didn’t really get the support, praise, or adulation from home or school. I used to write in my diary and keep it to myself. It was only when I went to college that I found a bunch of friends who would listen to my poems and stories. They turned me into a better writer. They continue to stand by me even today.

After my MBA, a short piece on the ocean’s thought process got published in Midday. I moved on to write features for top publications and kept writing stories and poems in my book. I left those books at my parent’s home before marriage, and after marriage, moved towards journalistic and corporate writing.

I remember publishing one of my poems in a book at work and that’s how I rediscovered my passion. I turned to writing the novel and got rejected. Stalled fiction till my blog happened. It gave me the impetus to write more.

Sex, Romance, Rape, & Masculinity

Your book Trapped in Heaven & Other Stories is quite graphic in describing sexual encounters? What’s your stand on the role of sex in romance and love, and its use in romantic stories?

There is a thin line between being crass and allowing the reader’s imagination to soar. I believe in adding sexual scenes only where it is absolutely necessary. Sex is an important part of romance and love. One cannot behave puritan and ignore its presence.

At the same time, there is no need to overplay sex in a way that the original story gets marred. The sex scenes in my stories allow the story to move forward and are written in context. I believe that it’s the writer’s responsibility to ensure that the pace of the story is not hampered by an unnecessary sex scene.

I don’t endorse cooking up sex scenes for the sake of it. As I said earlier, I play the story in my head first and then write it. When I play it through my head, if a sex scene doesn’t fit, I don’t write it.

There’s scene in your book in which a woman has to take shelter inside a closet with a male stranger: “His lips touched hers. She moved her face away. His firm grip made her feel secure & protected.” Instead of feeling harassed, she’s feeling secured.

In another story: “Whenever he was tired of beating her, he withdrew into the bedroom, grunting. After he slept, she gathered herself, put on clothes and went to sleep beside him. She hugged him and slept; he hugged her back. She felt safe with him–this was her fate, her only fate.”

In other: “Disappointed, she faked an orgasm and pretend to sleep.”

Do you think your 15-year-old-son who helped you in editing understood these feelings? How did you explain these to him? What do you think is the appropriate age for introducing the concept of sex to children, especially something like rape & sadism? What’s your stand on imparting sex education in school?

I have written a blog post on how to explain love and sex to children. When my son entered his pre-teen stage, as parents, we ensured that we explain to him the whole picture rather than being embarrassed about it.

Parenting is a process rather than a one-off event. It’s also holistic and an amalgamation of several efforts done over time.

We came from a background where our parents never discussed sex. Whenever there was a kissing scene on television, people would start talking, change the channel, or leave the room.

When we did the same, my son (who was 13 at that time) turned to me and asked, “Is kissing bad? Is sex dirty? Why do people behave so weird around it? At the same time, everyone wants to talk about it.” This statement brought things in perspective and my husband and I slowly and steadily built our rapport with him on one hand, and on the other hand, we told him about the birds and the bees.

With the advent of streaming apps and social media, teenagers know much more than us. It is our duty, as parents to ensure that they get the right information at the right time.

Rape, sadism, heartbreak, sex—these are no longer a taboo in mature conversations in progressive families. It’s important that a child gets a perspective from the parent rather than a source that cannot be trusted.

According to me, sex education in school is a good idea only if the parents are uneducated. For schools that have educated parents, sex education should be left to the parents. The school should issue guidelines and discuss it during parent orientation meetings.

Sex and love are independent of each other. A parent can explain this better than a teacher. Precautions during sex and complications in love need to be explained by someone who has a rapport with the child.

Parenting is a hands-on job. Educated parents putting responsibility on the school is a total no-go according to me.

In one of your stories, when a woman is using her sexuality in a smart way to move ahead in life, she’s called vulgar. In another one, when she’s enjoying orgasm outside her marriage, the word ‘sin’ is used. What’s wrong in enjoying one’s sexuality outside the norms, especially for women?

The best part about my book is that there is no right or wrong in my characters. The world calls Nina vulgar, but Mohan calls her pure-hearted.

The word ‘sin’ was used by a lady (Reena) who had her share of fun after marriage and then went through a bout of guilt—it is she who calls it a sin—out of societal pressures.

The author nor any of the characters makes a judgment on her having sex outside marriage. Nina uses her sexuality to move ahead in life and has no qualms about it. Reena goes ahead and spends three days with her ex-boyfriend and leaves him only when she realizes that there is no love in this arrangement and society wouldn’t accept her.

As an author, I don’t find anything wrong in a character doing what their heart pleases. In real life, however, I strongly believe that there is a societal system within which we operate and staying within it would help maintain balance. However, I don’t keep any of my characters in societal shackles. They choose their own paths. 

In one of your stories, a woman falls in love with a rape accused & later marries him. It’s unusual. What led you to this unusual side of rape? Do you think every case lodged is true or there are chances of misunderstanding or malicious intent, too?

A lady in my circle was a special public prosecutor for 19 years. She dealt with topics like rape, women atrocities, and child abuse. She would handle scores of cases in a day and share her experiences with me.

There is a technical flaw in our judicial system—there are cases where the victim withdraws the case, the state doesn’t. In such circumstances, the accused has to appear in court as per the hearing.

This coupled with the delay in justice adds many years to the verdict. You will be surprised that there are several cases in India where the rape victim ends up marrying the rape accused.

There have been instances where the victim was raped in her teen years. She got married to the accused and bore kids. For the court hearing, they would come together along with the kids. The case is scrapped after the girl testifies that she is being cared for by the accused.

This is not unusual at all. It’s just that it doesn’t get highlighted by the media. I have been lucky to be privy to the dark and humorous side of justice.

Yes, there are several instances of false cases being lodged. I have always said that laws need to be justice-friendly and not gender-friendly.

Currently, you are pursuing a PhD in Women and Leadership. Your book also has some bold female characters. Would you like to share your opinion on Feminism & Gender Equality? How do you see masculinity, as there’s a line in your book: “I just could not decide what was better, mounting Bindiya or my Bullet. Both gave me the ultimate feeling of masculinity?”

Bullet in the Heart is written with a specific target audience in mind. It is that man who feels his masculinity and strength comes from taming women and inanimate objects. It’s a typical male prototype that one sees in daily life.

I am thankful that you asked the question about Gender Equality and Feminism. I believe that each gender has its own role to play and one needs appreciate that role. I have elaborated on this earlier in the interview.

Some Less Known Facts about Mayura Amarkant

Read somewhere that your son told you that you’d never be able to run with him and you decided of getting fit and lose your weight drastically. Tell us about it.

Yes, I was overweight and unhealthy. My son told me that I would never be able to run with him. That triggered me to go on a health transformation journey.

Losing weight was never the goal. Getting fit was. To give you an example: When I started my fitness journey, I came last in the first marathon I participated in. There were around 4K participants! Two years later, I came among the top 50 in my age category. Healthy eating, determination, Yoga and exercise – that’s all I ever did.

You are not only a writer but an actor, too. You played ‘Surpanakha’ in GSC’s Ramayana for 2 consecutive years. How did it happen?

Hahahahaha! During childhood, most of us want to become an actor. I was one of them. I hardly got a couple of opportunities in school. I guess the universe knew about my love for the stage. When our club member and popular director, JD Majethia Ji conceptualized an eighty-minute broadway-style Ramayana, I jumped at the opportunity. I nervously gave the audition and got selected as Surpanakha.

Would you like to share something with your readers apart from these?

I sound like an extraordinary woman, but I am an ordinary housewife who loves her husband, in-laws, and kids.

My success never enters the 4 walls of my home. My home is my temple where only love is permitted to enter.

People often ask me how I manage to juggle so many things at the same time. There are two things that help me:

1. I never procrastinate.
2. I give 100% to a particular activity and then move on.

I have been blessed with a switch on-switch off mechanism that allows me to focus on multiple things at the same time. This blessing is available for all if one meditates and gathers focus.

Thanks, Mayura, for joining us. It’s a fabulous experience chatting with you.

Reviews of Book Trapped in Heaven & Other Stories by Mayura Amarkant

That was Mayura Amarkant with us talking about herself and her book Trapped in Heaven & Other Stories in detail. Let’s see what others are saying about her book.

This isn’t such a book like the lovey dovey types which you can read and forget with time. The stories are deep and some of them explore some deep rooted vices in our society. And the way the stories bring them out is hard hitting and leaves you touched and thinking.

‘Trapped in Heaven and Other Stories’ is an aesthetic representation of uninhibited human desires seamlessly presented through an interesting and gripping narrative. Through these stories, the author portrays those deeper realms of human emotions that are kept tightly shut behind closed doors of outward reality.

This book contains 9 short stories that were woven so beautifully with gripping narrative. They not only discuss about love, but also about the supressed emotions of the human mind. They discuss the human vices that leave the reader pondering even after completing the book.

Contact Links of Mayura Amarkant

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