NEW DELHI: Aishwarya Jha has captivated readers and critics alike with her debut novel, The Scent of Fallen Stars, earning her the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Sahitya Samman. The novel, a dual-timeline story set in Delhi between 1995 and 2018, explores love, longing, and transformation through the eyes of two characters who arrive from England decades apart. In a conversation with Ravi Shankar, Consulting Editor, The New Indian Express, Jha shared insights into her journey, inspirations, and the challenges of debut authorship.
On her first book, Jha described it as “heaven, hell, and everything in between.” She revealed that the inspiration for the novel came from a moment of poetic clarity. “The story unfolded over the years, almost as if I was an instrument channelling it,” she explained.
However, the road to publication was not smooth. “The process of getting published was brutal and soul-crushing. With a debut, you are constantly floundering, not knowing what’s normal. Some days, it felt like a hit; other days, like a flop,” she said candidly.
Set against the vibrant and evolving backdrop of Delhi, the novel tells the stories of Will, a British man who visits India in the 1990s, and Aria, a young woman with Indian roots who arrives in 2018. “It’s my ode to Delhi, especially the nostalgia-inducing 1990s, and to our diversity and beauty, which are often overshadowed by stereotypes,” Jha said.
Jha acknowledged that her mother played a significant role in shaping the philosophical undertones of her novel. “She’s my biggest inspiration,” Jha said, adding that the book also reflects her admiration for India’s ancient wisdom.