‘UNNS’ – THE SECOND STAGE OF LOVE IN URDU, FEATURES IN THIS BOOK

Author Interview: Sapan Saxena

Sapan Saxena is a software engineer by profession and is currently based in Nashua, New Hampshire. He completed his graduation from MNNIT Allahabad and writing has always been his passion. The articles from his blog ‘Rhythm Divine’ were featured by various national newspapers and that is when he penned down his first book “Finders, Keepers”. His second book “UNNS – The Captivation” was declared a National Bestseller in 2019. In a candid chat with Chirdeep Malhotra, he talks about his book “UNNS”, his writing journey, his favourite books and authors, and much more. Read on!



Please tell us more about Sapan Saxena as a person.

I am very passionate about things that I like to do. It is very important for me that if I am associated with a task, I give my best shot to it.



Has writing always been a part of your life? Or did you chance upon it later on and then instantly fell in love with it?

Writing was something that became a part of me gradually. Mythology and trivia was something that was always a part of me. So, I started out with blogs. Many of those were published in leading national dailies. It was then that I thought of writing a book. That’s how my first book “Finders, Keepers” was conceived.



If you had to describe your book “UNNS – The Captivation” in one sentence, what would it be?

It is a story with a lot of depth and a lot of heart.



Now tell us a little bit more about the book!

“UNNS” is an espionage thriller with the backdrop of a love story. Unns actually is the second stage of love as per Urdu. The book narrates the love story of a RAW agent who is working on a highly critical mission for India. The story transcends three continents and almost three decades.



Why the title “UNNS”? What does it convey to the readers?

Unns is the second stage of love as per Urdu. It conveyed that it is a classic and mature love story. Unns means infatuation, so it naturally would convey to the readers that there is one who is infatuated and it not a good place to be in.



How did the idea of writing this book originate? When did you start writing this book and how long did it take you to finish it?

I moved to US in December 2015. The town where I live, Nashua gets snowfall for four months of winter. It was during one of those bleak winters that I got the idea of this book. Of two individuals, who love yet hate each other are confined in one house with all communications disrupted with outside world and there is a snow storm outside. I liked the challenge of writing such a story. I started writing the book in Jan 2016 and was done by March of the same year.



Tell us more about the protagonists Atharva Rathod and Meher Qasim. How did the characters come to you and how much did they change in the process of writing the novel?

Atharva Rathod is a RAW agent who also suffers from a rare biological disease. He and Meher were classmates and the book depicts the story of their love across years and decades. Meher Qasim is an entrepreneur in Germany, and in the book she is this mystery that infatuates Atharva. The book transcends three decades, so the characters change a lot from regular school going teens with lots of dreams, to mature individuals who know the realities of life.



What type of research went into writing this book?

As the book is an espionage thriller backed by a love story, most of the research went into creating a logical and captivating espionage mission for the protagonist, and then how it could be wired in with the love story. I also make sure if I am using certain places of buildings they follow the exact structure as it is in reality. That involves some travel and lot of reading. Also, with Unns I had to read up a lot of laws and processes followed by RAW and Indian diplomats in other countries.



What challenges did you face while writing this book?

The biggest challenge was that I wanted the love story in the book to be classy, yet not boring and definitely not run of the mill. Boy meets girl, one of them leaves, then they reunite is the core of most of the books based on love stories in India. I wanted my book to be much more, so I added a lot of layers and lot of depth to the story. I also wanted to keep the treatment of the book unique, which as per many reviews, I was successful in doing.



Which books are you reading currently?

Currently I am reading “In The Name of Religion” by Ankur Chaudhary which is based on an interesting concept. I have recently completed the books “A Promised Land” by Barack Obama, and “Train to Pakistan” by Khushwant Singh.



Can you recommend five books from any genre, for our readers to add to their reading lists, that you particularly cherish?

Well, definitely “Finders, Keepers”, my first book. It was an interesting book with a novel concept. Then “Five Point Someone”, simply because Indian readers should know about the book that revolutionized Indian fictional writing. Also “The Immortals of Meluha”, as that book started a trend. “The Palace of Illusions” by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, it’s fascinating how she has covered the entire Mahabharat in a novel. “The Guide” by R K Narayan. The movie was a classic, but the novel was even better.



What are your other interests apart from writing?

Apart from spending time with my son and my newborn daughter, I like to play guitar and jam along with my wife who is a very talented singer. I also like to polish my culinary skills often.



What are you working on next?

Mythological thrillers were always my first love, and I just had taken a break with “UNNS”. My next one also is a contemporary mythological thriller. I recently sent it across to my agent at The Book Bakers and the initial feedbacks have been very encouraging, so I look forward to its release.



There are many new writers and poets who are aspiring to get their work published. What would you say to them?

Get the right agent. My agent, Suhail Mathur of The Book Bakers knows exactly what kind of book would echo with which publisher and he does his homework well. Also, book publishing requires a lot of patience, so any new writer should not get frustrated and keep trusting his or her work.



Can you share with our readers a motivational quote that keeps you going?

This is from my book “UNNS” – ‘If the intent is right why waste time thinking about consequences.’