Debut author Ashima Chalia found her knack for writing when she started to write small essays. She gave up her successful corporate career and dedicated all her time to writing her novel. It took her seven months to finish The Chaos Within and she felt that the subject of the book resonated with people of all age groups. “It deals a lot with the inner struggle and conflict that we all have. The constant state of mental chaos that we all live with. The characters in my story are all entwined in the web of their own lives and they are searching for that one solution which will solve all problems,” she said during a discussion at the book fair.
Although Ashima was inspired by her friends while creating her characters, she took care that none of the characters in the book resemble anyone directly. “I took a lot of inspiration from not only my friends but also the people I have come across. Plus, many of the situations in the book are retold versions of all the crazy things that we did in college,” said the Bangalore-based author.
The most difficult part of writing a book, she said, was coming up with her own style of writing and maintaining it throughout the book. “I get influenced by what I read. It was not easy to develop my own style of writing so I kept it very simple. The language is what we use everyday in our conversations,” she said. The book published by Rupa narrates the tale of five college students and revolves around an event that happens at their college reunion which changes their lives forever.