Being a mother, you would presume that author Rasil Ahuja reads children’s books primarily for her son’s sake. You are mistaken. She discusses this and more ahead of the release of her debut novel, Watcha Gonna Do Rosie SinghIJ By Aakriti Narang
Rasil Ahuja reminisces the days when she “worked in a makeshift study that doubled as a laundry room. I swear there were times the washing machine mocked me as it washed, spun, and rinsed load after load while I twiddled my thumbs and stared at a blank screen the whole cycle.” However, before being a writer of books she is also a reader. She tells us, “One of my favourite authors is Judy Blume. Her characters are imperfect but their troubles are perfectly real.”
In collaboration with Disney India, Ahuja will soon be releasing her first book entitled Watcha Gonna Do Rosie SinghIJ She has chosen children’s fiction because it is the toughest to appeal to the simplicity and honesty of a child’s vision. Besides, she wanted to talk about her own issues in childhood and how she surmounted them.
Currently, she has got her foot in the door. Ahuja says, “The story is about Rosie, an eight-year-old who embarrasses herself when her skirt accidentally falls down in front of her entire class and everyone sees that she wears bloomers. Then, when her arch enemy makes fun of her, Rosie hits the other girl. Now she doesn’t know what to do; she’s so embarrassed she decides never to go back to school again.” But what about all her dreamsIJ So she decides to find new role models; people who did great things but never finished school. She finds these role models, but also finds inspiration from within her own family. “I think Rosie’s story is one that children will relate to easily.” Although Rosie’s character is not based on the author’s own son, “one trait they do have in common is that they are curious and deep thinkers.”
The target audience’s presence is inevitably permanent in the mind of the writer. It guides the writer’s train of thoughts so as to encourage him or her to communicate in such a way that will entice the audience. likewise, writing for children is a completely different ball game as compared to writing for adults. “I think if you tell a story that is interesting and compelling to your audience then they’ll read it. I’ve been reading children’s books for years and not just to my child. I read them for pleasure. I think a good storyline and respect for your readers are two things that you have to keep in mind.” In response to choosing a child’s perspective as the medium of narration, as opposed to an adult recounting their past through flashbacks, Ahuja describes that she “never thought of writing it any other way. It came naturally. The story belongs to a child. Rosie’s story has always been with me. The first chapter was written and rewritten in my head years ago. I didn’t so much choose to write for children — I simply told a story about a child that appeals, hopefully, to children.”
As a side note, Ahuja reveals that it is her son who teaches her meditation. She says, “Ironic, but true! I’m an expressive person and I’m always on the move. One day, my son suggested that I should practise being ‘calm.’ He’d seen his father meditate. But unlike his father, who can sit yogi-like for a half hour, we use an app. I say my son is teaching me because he led me on this path and it is he who reminds me to be the tree that enjoys the breeze and doesn’t sway with every gust.”
About her future projects, Ahuja says, “life is so interesting that I don’t have to look far or long for inspiration. To some extent, there is almost always something autobiographical in every story.”