Aditi Bathia is an insights consultant by profession, currently employed with a leading management-consulting firm, who loves uncovering peoples’ said and unsaid intentions and emotions. A new mother and a dog parent, she is currently juggling parenthood with work, while trying to find time to pursue her passion – writing. Being an ardent traveler, Aditi picks up the essence of her stories from the several people and places she encounters when on the go. She loves to sketch strong characters in her stories, reflecting the underlying feminist within her. ‘In Search Of’ is her debut novel published by Leadstart publishing.
TBE: Tell us a little about your book, ‘In Search Of’, and the story world you’ve created.
Aditi Bathia: In Search Of is a story of a modern, young woman who is clear and not shy of taking drastic measures in her search for love. She knows she is disrupting a lot of norms in the process, but she has confidence in own her actions. What she discovers about love, and about her own self, is a journey described in the book. However, more than anything else, “In Search Of” is a story of love, of magic, and everything in between! It is a story told from the heart, and one that hopes to touch the heart.
It is written in form of letters, that the protagonist – Anya – has written to her husband and to her lover as she treads on the path of infidelity. Through the course of her journey, Anya explores various questions surrounding the perpetual choice between love and marriage. She ends up uncovering the various layers of emotions that envelope human nature and explores the various shades of greys – none pure white, or pure black.
TBE: What does your writing process look like? Do you map story out from start to finish or do you begin with an idea and see where it takes you?
Aditi Bathia: The process varies depending on the context. For “In Search Of”, I started with the idea of love, and let the words lead me. In this case, they led me to a lot of internal conflict that a married one often faces, when it comes to defining what love is, and its various facets.
TBE: How was your publishing experience with Leadstart?
Aditi Bathia: This is my first book and Leadstart has made the process very smooth, transparent and successful. The team has been extremely supportive and the experience of working with them has motivated me to continue writing.
TBE: What is the inspiration for your book? Is there a particular theme you wished to explore?
Aditi Bathia: The inspiration for “In Search Of” has been love. I wanted to explore how the idea of “ideal love” transcends as we progress through the different phases of our life, how the definition often evolves from a teenage-romance fantasy to a pragmatic companionship, and the impact it has on the dreams we weave for ourselves while experiencing the initial butterfly-feeling-romance.
TBE: Who are your main characters? Tell us a little about what makes them tick. What appeals to you about it?
Aditi Bathia: Anya (the protagonist): Anya is a soft but smart woman. She is a blend of pragmatism and emotions. While she is focused on her goals, she cannot ignore the aspects she puts at stake when pursuing them. She is empathetic and if often easily hurt. Given the blend of opposing characteristics in her nature, she is constantly at struggle with her inner self in sifting the right from the wrong, and love from hurt.
Yohan (the husband): Yohan is a man who has his life-path outlined in his head. Although he is modern, he has a conventional outlook in terms of how life must pan out. Yohan also sports a calm and forgiving temperament. Even so, he can be ruthlessly unforgiving when angered or hurt, and often does not believe in giving second chances. The question is, will his strong-headed nature lead him to lose Anya?
Aarav (the lover): Aarav is a complex personality, the perfect shade of grey that we humans typically are. He is charming and he knows how to use it best to his advantage. Yet, he is loyal in his love to Anya. He wants the best for Anya, but he is also unwilling on making major compromises for her sake. This is his biggest shortcoming, which he does come to regret, albeit too late.
TBE: You have a way of creating determined female character who push hard for a particular goal. How did that idea end up being so important in your novel?
Aditi Bathia: Being a feminist myself, I wanted the protagonist – Anya – to reach out unabashedly for what she wanted, in this case, her need of feeling fully loved. Anya did not want to accept living a half-life and was willing to risk the norms for her search of “love”. This was her primary motivation that drove her to take the conscious step into infidelity.
TBE: Ultimately, what would you like for the readers to take from ‘In Search Of’?
Aditi Bathia: Ah, there is just so much to take away, and yet, it is the reader’s interpretation that they will leave with! If it were up-to me, I hope they take back the message of how love is beyond the self.
TBE: What makes a book great, in your opinion? What elements does a great story possess?
Aditi Bathia: A great book is one which has the power of making its readers feel every emotion that the characters are witnessing, one that takes you on a journey with the protagonists’ lives and leaves you thinking about it long after the last page is turned. It has great characters, lucid language and a narrative which leaves the reader wanting for more…
TBE: How did you get into writing and what inspired you to write your first book?
Aditi Bathia: I wanted to write a book ever since I was a child. My maternity leave provided me with the opportunity and the time to put the dream into action, and here we are!
TBE: Is there anything you are currently working on that may intrigue the interest of your readers?
Aditi Bathia: I have just about started with my second book, which again focuses on a strong female in the center of a lot of challenges. The book is a homage to my grandmother.
