Women's demands are finally finding voice: Author Bhaavna Arora

Bhaavna Arora, a new generation Indian author whose second book "Mistress of Honour" has just hit the stands, feels elated looking at the contemporary Indian writing which is "definitely witnessing a change", with the demands of women "finding a voice". Her latest book has a woman protagonist who wants to be a single, unwed mother.

"Mistress of Honour" talks about an intense love story against an army and air force backdrop. Inspired by true stories, for which the author personally interviewed more than 160 retired and serving officers, it makes the general public aware of many aspects relating to war and how these soldiers play a vital role in keeping our borders safe.

Arora, who terms herself a feminist, has tried, in both her novels, to portray strong women protagonists faced with the most difficult situations in their lives. In her first book, "The Deliberate Sinner", the protagonist tries to get out of the shackles of an unhappy marriage and in the other, an unwed mother who wants to bear a love child.

"Divorced as well as single, unwed mothers are both very challenging issues in a society like India," Arora told IANS in an interview. She touches base on both these issues, keeping intense love as the central theme of both.

"I think I'm the first Indian woman writer who has introduced the concept of a woman's orgasm in the context of a fictional love story," she said. Shrishti Publishers, which presented her first work, said they were looking for a change from college love stories - and her manuscript came as a pleasant surprise.

"I personally think that female sexuality is equally welcomed by the male gender," said the author, whose first book has the woman crying out: "Yes, I want to be an equal sex partner."

Being a hardcore academician all her life, Arora quit that to follow her passion of writing. "I only had one back-up plan and that was to be a successful writer," she said, adding: "When you take up your passion, you have to go all out. With a regular job as a director of a business school, I would have only been less than completely involved," she explained.

On the personal front, she is inclined towards social work and has been sponsoring a child's education for the past 11 years, who is now in 12th standard and is doing well. "I feel very content. I think as an individual in my capacity if I can change a generation, then why not," she asked.

A few of her favourite authors include Shobhaa De and Paulo Cohelo.

As for what is she working on next, she said: "For now, I'm taking a break and collecting my thoughts to come up with an equally, if not more exciting, story as my previous one."

(Shaifali Agrawal can be contacted at shaifalihere@gmail.com <mailto:shaifalihere@gmail.com>)