Beautiful Relationships is a collection of seven fictional stories exploring different kinds of relationships and their impact on the people involved. What was the inspiration for this collection of short stories?

I have always been a family-oriented man. It may be my strength as well as a weakness, but my family and my relatives mean a lot to me. During April 2021, my entire family (including myself) was infected with Covid-19 and each of us was isolated in separate rooms within my house. Among us, my condition was a bit critical and I narrowly averted hospitalisation. I was hardly able to see the faces of even my immediate family members, let alone friends or other relatives. During those depressing days, a plain “I love you” uttered by my son or wife from another room would boost my morale. Another thing that would make me feel positive during those days was phone calls from various relatives who would say nice things to me and make me feel that I am getting cured very soon. Though relations in my life have always been important to me, this isolation and morale boosting by relatives reinforced their significance and sowed a seed in my mind to write a fictional storybook on relations that enrich our lives.

What are some things that you find interesting about the human condition that you think make for great fiction?

One thing that I find interesting in the human condition is that people both, act and react differently with changes in circumstances. This single dynamic leads to twists in stories, changes in the characters of people, showing the true colors of characters in stories, and so on. However, I also find it interesting to showcase in fictions, traits of human nature that do not change, such as commitment, love, integrity, etc. which signifies the timelessness of these qualities.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

All the fictions in my book revolve around one theme, i.e., relationships. I have written these stories with the notion that before we wear our professional hats, we are human beings at the core. We are social beings and the relationships in our lives are not just for the sake of existing; they enrich our lives. I also want to stress through this book that while we all march ahead in our lives, it is okay to slow down a little bit to acknowledge and appreciate the relationships that complete our lives and existence. I wanted to depict the purity and simplicity of life through these fictions. Therefore, all the characters in these fictions are good human beings. In fact, they are absolutely lovable people and the readers who buy this book will get new adorable family members who will accompany them for years together.

Do you have plans to write another collection of stories? If so, what topics will it encompass, and when can readers expect it to be out?

I have given the readers the best out of me in the form of this book. I really look forward to their receptiveness now. The next thing on my mind is Beautiful Relationships – Part 2 wherein I plan to cover more types of relationships. I have not yet decided on whether this Part 2 should have the same purity quotient or it should be more contemporary. However, coming out with the Part 2 depends on the level of response to Beautiful Relationships. As for timeline, I would like to keep myself free of such a commitment at the moment. All I want to say is, a positive response will definitely encourage me to work harder on Part 2 and bring it to the readers as soon as possible.

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