A day in the life of most bureaucrats is often too busy to let them follow another dream or a creative pursuit. But as they say, ‘where there is a will, there is a way’; and one such officer who has found her way through her will and determination is the1999-batch, Odisha Cadre IAS officer Ms. Shubha Sarma.
Ms. Sarma turned to write and became an author with her first book ‘Fly on the wall and Other Stories’ in 2013. The book is a collection of 13 short stories, with subjects ranging from up-market settings (Dinner at Bukhara) to deep social strife (Flesh and Blood). In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, Ms. Sarma opened up about her writings, inspirations, and how she managed civil service while following her passion for writing.
Inspiration to write
As a young student, Ms. Sarma enjoyed writing. As an adult, she found it relaxing, something which calmed her mind. Whether it was jotting articles for magazines, newspapers or even letters to her family, she was always writing. But after getting into IAS, her favorite hobby took a back seat, while she got buried behind office files. This went on until one day her senior, Mrs. Vandana Kumari Jena, IAS, gifted her a book and told her about a contest for short stories, encouraging her to participate. On a whim, Ms. Sarma wrote a story that night- after more than a decade.
“I still remember staying up till 2 am that night, writing in the light of a table lamp, as my young children slept. As luck would have it, my entry was shortlisted among the winners and published in an anthology of short stories. Thus began my dalliance with writing and there has been no looking back since,” she recalled.
Going for It
Ms. Sarma believes that a writer is made by his or her circumstances. While her children were young and work was hectic, she hardly had any time to relax, let alone indulge in a hobby. But despite that, she wrote in bits and pieces, whenever she could steal some moments. However, these gaps between writing had their own effect on her work.
“Stories left incomplete changed beyond recognition when I pick up the pen after a long gap, the original plot underwent a complete transformation after a few months, and sometimes I forget what I had intended to do in the first place. But this adds to the enjoyment of writing, the unpredictability or as I once told a friend, the story and the characters writing themselves!” she told Indian Masterminds.
Fly On the Wall
‘Fly on the wall’ is Ms. Sarma’s first collection of stories, consisting of 13 stories of short to medium length. Most of the stories are drawn from people and incidents that she knew of. Whether a family that was killed, college mates reuniting over Facebook or the practice of changing one’s name after marriage among the Sindhis that so many of her friends have undergone. The stories are even set in familiar landscapes such as Lucknow, Assam and Odisha. These were stories of everyday life, around themes that we encounter in urban or semi-urban settings.
Said Ms Sarma, “Writing `Fly on the Wall and Other Stories’ was immensely satisfying as I wrote unhindered, about whatever I wanted to. In a single book, I could play around with different genres- romance, humor, super-natural and pathos. Each story stands alone, in a world of its own. I called it “Fly on the Wall” because that is the essence of an author, silently and involuntarily observing the happenings around her which someday, come together in the shape of a tale.”
Work-Life Balance
Managing and balancing personal and professional life is difficult in itself. Add an additional hobby, and it becomes more strenuous. So also for Ms. Sarma, who finds it a constant challenge to juggle these but does not find it something that is insurmountable. Writing brings her happiness. She doesn’t follow any schedule and writes only when she has time and feels like it. “Many chapters of my first book- “Fly on the Wall & Other Stories” were written waiting in between connecting flights at airports. Ultimately, if you enjoy doing something, you will somehow find time for it” she told Indian Masterminds.
New Book
Ms. Sarma is excited about her new book that will be launched next month. It is called “Awasthis of Aamnagri” and is set in the fictional town of Aamnagri. Unlike her debut book, this is a novella and spans several decades in the lives of the Awasthi family, as they go through the ups and downs in life.
“This time I’ve tried my hand at humor and found that I enjoyed writing it as much as my editor enjoyed reading it.”
Born and brought up in Lucknow, Ms. Sarma completed her post graduate in International Relations from Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) before entering into IAS. Earlier, she served as the District Magistrate of Koraput and Deputy Secretary in the Union ministry of commerce. Now, she is posted as the Commissioner cum Secretary in the Handlooms, Textiles & Handicrafts Department of Govt of Orissa
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