NEW DELHI: Author Khushwant Singh is of the belief that non-fiction usually does not end in story-telling and so used fiction to narrate the turbulent phase of Punjab in his latest novel "The Opium Toffee".
The book, published by Amaryllis, is a love story set in Punjab of the 80s.
"It is set in Chandigarh and dwells around the theme of how one wrong move during a period of strife can ruin lives. There was no coming back in Punjab if you made a wrong choice during your youth years when the state saw a spate of violence," Singh, who is the state information commissioner of Punjab, says.
"My earlier novel 'Maharaja in Denims' was also centred around Punjab. I have been trying to bring the narrative of the turbulent phase of Punjab through fiction. I believe when story-telling happens, that is when shared pain takes place. Content sitting in the pages of non-fiction usually does not end in story-telling and consequently shared pain," Singh told PTI.
His books have portrayed all aspects of Punjab.
"Sikhs Unlimited", published in 2007, is about the success of the Punjabi diaspora abroad, of how robust the community is and how significantly it has contributed in every sphere of the economy of their adopted countries.
"My novels bring out the socio-political narrative of Punjab, its fault lines, its politics as well as its economic and religious struggles," he says.
In his latest novel, when top supermodel Shabnam Singh finds her first love Ajit begging on a street in London, she is shocked to know the circumstances that led to it.
As his traumatic life is unravelled through the withered pages of his diary, the story traverses between London's 90s and the turbulent Punjab of the 80s, and opens a window into Punjab's disturbing history through a tale of love, faith, betrayal, and misfortune.
The novel offers an intriguing journey through the highs and lows of Shabnam and Ajit's teenage years, India's fashion industry and the gaping abyss of drugs, extremism and illegal migration.
On the title of his novel, Singh says, "The novel revolves around what plagued and plagues Punjab and the consequences of it. A community which was meant to abstain from substance abuse, suddenly finds itself grappling with drug addiction, etc."
Singh, who has also written a biography of former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh, says he is comfortable with both fiction and non-fiction.
"I usually write a fiction followed by a biography. The prime difference between the two is that in a biography, the story is largely set. You just have to unravel it. In fiction, everything is your creation. The plot, the characters, the places, the narrative."
Singh adopted a novel idea to mitigate the carbon footprint of "The Opium Toffee".
Asked about this, he said, "I realised that writing even one book, especially if there is international travel involved, can leave a lot of carbon footprint. For example, the first scene is set in a London street and I flew to London to write that."
"Transportation of the books, printing, book promotion are things that leave a carbon footprint. I calculated that to offset the carbon footprint of 'The Opium Toffee', I needed to plant about 1,500 trees (forest conditions). Which I did with the collaboration of the forest department and we planted the native trees of Punjab."
The Hoshiarpur Literary Society also had a role to play in the shaping of the novel.
"The Hoshiarpur Literary Society is a fast-emerging literary force in the region. It has launched a very ambitious project of bringing knowledge to the doorstep via its mobile libraries. The literary society has supported me by hosting discussions around my various books, including a session on Capt. Amarinder's biography," he says.