IAS officer Ms. Chhavi Bhardwaj, who is the Managing Director of Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MPMRCL), is known for her leadership and management skills on field. But there’s another skill she is endowed with, and that is her writing skill, which is evident in the book she has written. Her novel, Like a bird on the Wire, about two bureaucrats has been widely appreciated. During a conversation with Indian Masterminds, she talked about how she accidentally stepped into the world of writing and how she completed that journey.
EXCERPTS FROM THE INTERVIEW
When was the first time you thought of writing something?
Honestly, I never had any inclination towards writing. Not even in my school or my college days. Like a bird on the Wire is my first and still my only work in literature. Before I started writing it, I had no intention of converting it into a novel.
How much time did you take to write it?
My maternity leave was over, and I had 15 more days left to join the new post. That was the time I started it and initially I was planning a story. However, due to work pressure and the kid, I couldn’t focus completely on writing. On and off I would write few pages, and this continued for five years. I was able to develop the characters along the story, and without any prior planning, it turned out to be a novel. Since I had already given five years of mine, so I thought, why not publish it.
‘Like a Bird on the Wire’ is a story of two bureaucrats who try to find meaning and satisfaction in their work. How much of it is taken by real life?
The story is about a young successful officer, Avinash Rathore, and Nethra Kaul, who is still figuring out what she wants from her job and life in general. They both are not only batchmates but also share a special bond. Since I belong to that fraternity, so it was quite obvious for me to pick characters within that boundary, because I know all the nuances of being a bureaucrat. Apart from this, everything from the story to all the incidents are pure work of fiction. I haven’t picked anything from real life or people.
It was your first book, and both the story and your writing skills were widely appreciated. Are you working on something new?
The book happened accidently, and accident doesn’t happen regularly. Right now, I am extremely tied up with all the work and there is almost no time to explore anything. I am not saying I won’t come up with something in future, but right now, I am not working on anything.
Do you remember the first book that you read? Which writer influenced you the most?
I must have read some story books or novels as a kid. The one I remember clearly is Wuthering Heightsby Emily Bronte. This one is really close to my heart, and I have read it many times. Lately,I have been a fan of Ayn Rand and Khalid Hosseini. The Fountain Head by Ayn Rand is also one of my favorites. Among the Indian writers, I really liked the work of Amish Tripathi in Shiva Triology.
