EVERY Sunday, she dates her husband at a coffee shop. When most professionals suffer from Monday morning blues, she occasionally sneaks out with her husband to watch a film. Her idea of romance may not be mushy, but such gestures have made a world of a difference in her life. That’s Milan Vohra, winner of the Mills & Boon First Passions Writing Contest, a first of its kind short story writing contest for aspiring authors across India.
Milan’s winning entry titled The Love Asana has put her on the global platform of romance authors, besides making her the first Indian to win the contest, announced recently.
However, the Bangalore-based author remains unfazed. “I feel like a student,” laughs Milan, as she explains that she’s enrolled at a typing class to hone her skills. “All these years, I worked in an advertising firm and didn’t have much to key in. I still write on paper and don’t use the laptop, so I took a long time to write the story,” says Milan.
The Love Asana, with a 2,000-word limit, was keyed in by a friend. “I enjoyed reading aloud what I had written, the process was entertaining as my friend keyed in the stuff and we laughed trying to imagine whatever I had scripted,” she says lightheartedly.
Everything fell into place on the eve of her wedding anniversary in January. While this will be published in the Mills & Boon Modern Series of titles in May, the script is being morphed into a book, which will hit the stands later. The book would be an unbridled celebration of life, with an undercurrent of levity and playful abandon. The setting would blend Indian and international haunts, but obvious tourist destinations will be given a miss.
Like most Mills & Boon heroes, Milan’s hero Sujay Jetli also leads an extraordinary life. An NRI, he’s best known for his success and wealth. This winning formula is woven into the story, though Sujay isn’t portrayed as an Alpha Male, as some Mills & Boon authors tend to do. The story dwells on an existing reality, the chemistry between Sujay and Shioli, an older woman still remains unacceptable. She may be a strong formidable character but carries the baggage of a broken marriage. The narrative is layered with realistic situations, which reflect her vulnerability and readers can relate to Shioli’s predicament. “When I entered the contest, I was given to understand that women should be depicted with strength. I looked around and found women opting out of an unsuccessful marriage to start life afresh. That’s how Shioli’s character shaped up,” she explains. It’s even planned to get Sujay to shed a tear or two as the plot thickens. Yoga, a discipline which helps connect the Indian and international context, is the fabric for creating chemistry and hence the title, The Love Asana.
The more important thing, however, is that Harlequin Mills & Boon has opened a new chapter in India. “A survey indicated that the Indian market had potential. Since last year, we’re offering 10 titles every month in genres like Modern, Romance and Desire for Rs 99. Until then, books were sourced from UK at Rs 200. To encourage Indian authors, we conducted a contest, where participants wrote for a global audience. Now our website is accessible to anyone who wishes to pen a romance even without a contest,” says Manish Singh, general manager of national sales.
So now there’s going to be a desi twist to Mills & Boon romances, and fans seem to be glad it's happening. “I’d like to read a Mills & Boon written by an Indian author, where the characters and setting are Indian,” says Shaifali Goel, a reader. “It’s not just the setting or characters but the way the story is woven. I’m looking forward to it.”
Right now, an Indian romance wins favour, though Milan, its author has grown up reading Mills & Boons in a western setting. In fact, her life is not far short of a romance novel, with a seven-year courtship followed by marriage.
While advertising is her forte, Milan has also scripted a play called Maid in India. But scripting a romance was like a dream and the contest put things in perspective. It was almost waiting to happen and when she made it to the top she received a barrage of congratulatory calls. After 20 years of advertising, finally a love story catapulted the 44-year-old to literary fame.
Like all Mills & Boon stories, this one too will have a happy ending. Or shall we say a happy beginning? Who knows, a time may come when Mills & Boon romances are set against the backdrop of Taj Mahal or Khajuraho.
when energy meets lithe elegance
hioli loved her job in public relations but the upcoming “Fitness Fanatix” brand launch was taking its toll. Thank god she had taken on this yoga class to teach after work. But today, even that seemed to be going haywire. All because of this damned new student who thought he could just walk in and disrupt everything. She disliked everything about him on sight. His long, lithe legs, the casual way he tilted his head, his boyishly charming jet-black hair that flip-flopped any old way. That never-ending body of his — for god’s sake, how tall was he? 6 foot? Though she had to admit, he carried himself well. Absolutely straight, with an elegance that was almost magnetic. Look away, Shioli, she urged herself. Look how he’s so conveniently trying to disarm you with that casual dimpled grin and mumbled hi’s to the class in general.
“Now if you’ve finished socialising, maybe you could roll out your mat and we can begin the class?” Shioli snapped. “Who’s going to volunteer to join me in front today?” Usually she barely had to say it before almost every hand in the room was up. In fact, her friends at work pulled her leg. She didn’t have a class; she had a mini fan club going there.
A petite 5 ft 1 and a half inches tall, Shioli was pretty much the opposite of all her name suggested. Shioli: meaning a delicate, fragrant white flower. Shioli Dewan was more a hot-house bloom. Everything about her had energy, a vibrance that was almost palpable. Her rich dark auburn hair tumbled to her shoulders in careless abandon. Her eyes were a deliciously warm, honey- brown; her skin, amazingly clear and glowing. Her nose a little upturned button, with a tiny pierced gold ring poised just above her full lips.
Oh dear, she thought, as one hand went up. Of course, it had to be him. He laid his yoga mat way to close to hers at the front of the class. “Let’s begin. Stretch out your arms above your head like this.” Standing next to him, literally a foot shorter in her form fitted hot pink leotards, Shioli started to feel unbearably aware of every curve in her body as she felt his gaze wander over her.
Her head barely came up to his chest level as he mirrored her movements. Her eyes registered the sleeveless black ganjee that left his arms gloriously exposed. “SUJ”, that was the name casually written in block letters on a sticker on his ganjee.
The receptionist had obviously insisted on it as she usually did with all the new students. Forcing herself to focus, she saw he didn’t seem to be getting the posture quite right for “ urdha dhanur asana”, the asana where you had to lift your hips right off the ground in the shape of an upright bow. Again and again, Shioli demonstrated the fluid movements but he wouldn’t get it. “All right then, let me show it to you” Shioli said tersely, slipping her hands under his hips. She gently gave his hips an ever so slight nudge to raise them. “You like the arch, or should I raise my hips some more?” Suj said, staring deep into her eyes. Slowly, as if in a trance, she felt the rest of the room blank out.
It was as if there was no one else there, but for him and her and this electric energy between them. An hour later she heard him ask, “So, which would you say is your personal favourite of all these asanas?” “That would have to be the surya namaskar. It’s the most complete way to start your day”, she rhapsodised.
“I can think of something even better,” Suj drawled under his breath.
“What?!” she snapped, not quite sure she’d heard right.
Excerpted from Milan Vohra’s The Love Asana
kavita@epmltd.com